ANTIFEMINIST WOMEN IN BRAZILIAN POLITICS: THE MOBILIZATION OF “GENDER IDEOLOGY” AS A STRATEGIC AGENDA

Abstract

This paper investigates how women from the new Brazilian right, with institutional positions and a strong social media presence, instrumentalize the “gender ideology” agenda as a political strategy. The research analyzes the cases of Ana Caroline Campagnolo, state representative for Santa Catarina, and Sonaira Fernandes, city councilor for São Paulo, based on the hypothesis that antifeminism is not limited to a reaction, but constitutes a mobilizing political technology, based on the creation of symbolic enemies and the activation of affects such as fear, panic, and resentment. Through critical discourse analysis and thematic analysis of parliamentary statements, interviews, books, courses, and digital materials, the study seeks to understand how these leaders articulate morality, emotion, and rhetoric to generate ideological cohesion, visibility, and political capital. The approach is also grounded in affect theory, particularly Sara Ahmed's concepts of hostility and affective contagion. The methodology allows us to map how these women, by presenting themselves as defenders of morality and family, mobilize discursive strategies that reinforce conservative agendas and anti-gender policies in the contemporary Brazilian context, producing strong emotional and rhetorical appeal on digital platforms.