Rosa Weber criticizes the lack of more women in the STF – 01/06/2023 – Politics

President of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), Minister Rosa Weber criticized the lack of women in the court this Thursday (1st), the day that President Lula (PT) announced that he had chosen his lawyer, Cristiano Zanin, to fill a vacancy on court.

Rosa’s statements took place during a meeting at the Supreme Court with the president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, who is on an official visit to Brazil.

Rosa addressed the issue by asking the Finn about the representation of women in the country’s Judiciary. She said that she was the first career female judge on the STF, having assumed her position in 2007. She also stated that the number of women in the superior courts is tiny.

“Here in Brazil we have many women at the base of the judiciary, in the courts in the first degree, but the number decreases in the intermediate level. At the top, in the superior courts, the number is tiny”, said Rosa.

Among the 10 current ministers, only Rosa and Cármen Lúcia are women. In addition to the two, the STF had only one other woman among its members: Ellen Gracie, who was cited by the minister at the meeting.

Until the time of the meeting with the Finn, Rosa had not yet commented on Zanin’s appointment.

Earlier, Lula confirmed Zanin’s nomination. “I think everyone expected me to nominate Zanin not just because of the role he played in my defense, but simply because I think Zanin will become a great Supreme Court justice in this country,” she said.

And he continued: “I know his qualities as a lawyer, I know his qualities as a head of family and I know his background. He will be an exceptional minister of the STF if approved by the Senate and I believe he will be and I think Brazil will be proud to have the Zanin as Minister of the Supreme Court.”

Lula had met with the lawyer on the night of this Wednesday (31), at the Planalto Palace, and warned authorities, such as the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), who would announce the choice for the vacancy.

47-year-old Paulista, Zanin became Lula’s lawyer in 2013 and became known for defending the PT in Lava Jato processes.

If approved by the Senate, Zanin will take over the seat left by Ricardo Lewandowski, who reached the age limit to serve on the court on May 11, but anticipated his retirement to April.

In almost 40 years of redemocratization in Brazil, the summit of the Republic had 66 men and only 4 women —a ratio of 16.5 to 1— and continues to this day to be commanded mostly by male representatives.

During this period, only Dilma Rousseff (PT) was elected President of the Republic, while seven men passed through the command of the Executive Branch. The petista still ended up being removed from office in 2016, after suffering an impeachment process more than two years before the end of her second term.

The Legislature has never had a woman as president of the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate since redemocratization — there were 18 and 15 occupants of the post, respectively, in that period, all men.