[ad_1]
Copyright of the image
Reuters
Opinion polls suggest 43% of female voters will vote for Jair Bolsonaro
Jair Bolsonaro is one of the most controversial politicians in Brazil's recent history.
The far-right candidate, who has a large lead in the polls before the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, is a man who expresses his opinion. And in doing so, he revealed his homophobic, sexist and racist views.
His supporters called his remarks bad but innocent jokes or simply dismissed the reports that his more controversial remarks were false information.
The list of offensive statements that he has made is long. He certainly likes to stir. He told a congressman that she "did not deserve to be raped" because she was "too ugly".
He explained why women earn less than men by saying that their jobs are expensive because they continue to earn a salary during their maternity leave.
He even stated that the birth of his daughter had "weakened" him.
Opposite effect
These are comments that, according to the experts, would prevent Mr. Bolsonaro from winning the female electorate. But they were wrong.
The latest opinion poll conducted by Datafolha indicates that 43 percent of female voters would vote for Bolsonaro, while 39 percent said they would vote for his rival, Workers Party candidate Fernando Haddad.
- Fernando Haddad: Bet on moderation
"There are women who hate him but we love him," says Carina Soledade, a mother of three who works as a secretary in a fertility clinic.
Carina Soledade says she will vote for Jair Bolsonaro
"It's a man of a certain age, it's a military, it's explosive.But it's him.A lot of things that people accuse him of." to have said are distorted by the media. "
Vanessa Pacheco is one of her most active and outspoken supporters. The 27-year-old radiology technician opened a Facebook page called Women with Bolsonaro, which has two million members, in early September.
As the group is private, will not allow journalists to register and does not appear in a search on Facebook, this figure can not be easily verified.
Ms. Pacheco said she created it after seeing an increasing number of pages created by women who opposed the politician.
At the end of September, millions of women gathered behind the hashtag #EleNao (not him) and hundreds of thousands of people took part in the biggest events led by women in the history of Brazil.
Multimedia playback is not supported on your device
The march was intended to put an end to Mr. Bolsonaro's ascent.
Only this has not been the case. Instead, its popularity increased in the week leading up to the first round and continued to increase more than the second round on October 28th.
Ms. Pacheco was one of those who opposed this anti-Bolsonaro movement.
"I thought it was impossible that there were not more people, women who accompanied her, so I created her to prove that women also support her." Bolsonaro, "she says.
The group is dedicated to all that Jair Bolsonaro, the candidate who, according to them, will change for the better Brazil.
Rival camps
The political clash between the two groups of women shows how, in these elections, even equality between men and women has become politicized.
Copyright of the image
AFP
Jair Bolsonaro fans often wear the colors of the Brazilian flag
Copyright of the image
AFP
#EleNao movement members often wave the purple flags of the feminist movement
On one side there are #EleNao activists who are part of a larger movement against sexual harassment, sexism and discrimination and on the other those who think feminists are pushing too hard. far.
Ms. Pacheco is one of those who do not like the feminist rhetoric of the #EleNao campaign. "Feminism is political and sexist," she says. "It's worse than machismo."
"Feminism supports feminine superiority Feminists treat men as dirt, as they should be submissive Take the political left for example – left-wing men are always submissive, they treat women better than They, "she adds.
Mr. Bolsonaro led a campaign focused on preserving family values. But when you meet her supporters, they do not all fit in the same conservative box.
Some, such as Mr. Bolsonaro's support for the relaxation of gun laws, argue, will empower and make them safer.
Many, like Carina Soledade, reject the idea that a woman's role is to take care of children. Ms. Soledade is part of a group of women who argue that in Brazil gender equality already exists, even though official statistics suggest otherwise.
"If you are well trained [and working] in a business, it does not matter if you are a man or a woman, "she says. Some people believe in discrimination, but I do not think it exists. In my opinion, men and women earn according to their knowledge and abilities. "
She says that she will vote for Mr. Bolsonaro on Sunday because it "can bring hope". "It can bring a change for Brazil," she added.
This is a change that women in the #EleNao movement fear and has created deep divisions among women in Brazil.
