Just over a week before presidential elections, ex-military general and running mate to right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro has given his opinion on the low levels of female support for the political candidate. General Hamilton Mourão puts them down to what he believes to be ‘female indecisiveness.’
Speaking to news agency Reuters, the former military general used a controversial analogy to describe why he believes female voters take longer to make their minds up deciding who to vote for in the coming elections.
“You know, a man goes into a shop and buys, and that’s it. A woman takes time to buy. It’s the same logic,” he said.
Speaking of the opposition movement that has seen millions of women mobilise against Bolsonaro in the past weeks, Mourão referred to its effects as “brainwashing.”
“It seems they have stopped thinking,” he told Reuters in a phone call.
Although dismissed by Mourão, the #NotHim movement has been gaining momentum over the last few weeks in Brazil. It has recently secured the support of high-profile international celebrities such as singer Madonna as well as fellow Brazilian presidential candidate Marina Silva, who has vowed to take part in protests against Bolsonaro taking place tomorrow.
Image courtesy of @madonna – Instagram.
Tomorrow’s manifestations will see millions of women take to the streets all over the country.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro has retweeted gestures of support from female counter-opposition groups that have also started to spring up across the internet using the hashtag #MulheresComBolsonaro (#WomenWithBolsonaro).
– Obrigado pela homenagem mulheres de Minas Gerais!
– Após o ocorrido nosso carinho por vocês só aumentou!
– Muito obrigado por mais este apoio! pic.twitter.com/mXb8RZKjgw— Jair Bolsonaro 1️⃣7️⃣ (@jairbolsonaro) September 28, 2018
