Changes in gender and race composition of the Brazilian Judiciary

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of judicial policies aimed at promoting equity in judge’s career on the race and gender composition of the Brazilian Judiciary. We investigate whether these policies impacted on the way in which judicial careers and internal promotions are gendered and racialized. The article uses quantitative data on the composition of the Brazilian judiciary by gender and race, and qualitative data obtained from various documentary sources, including the media and excerpts from interviews with judges published in academic works. The theoretical approach is the one of differences, conceiving them as constructed within the scope of culture. We conclude that despite the timid increase in the presence of black women and men in the Brazilian judiciary, racial and gender issues have been made visible and disputed, with political movements seeking to implement these agendas, sharing identifications and vocalizing experiences of subtle discrimination.