First to preside over the (Superior Military Court), minister Maria Elizabeth Rocha classified the situation of gender parity in higher courts in Brazil as “a disaster”.
The judge spoke this Monday (30) at an event in the capital of São Paulo promoted by the IASP (Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo). The theme of the presentation was the participation of women in the Judiciary.
“As far as the higher judiciary goes, it’s a disaster,” she said. “I don’t need to tell you that, even in progressive governments, the number of women in higher courts has been significantly, ostensibly and aggressively reduced.”
According to the minister, statistics contradict logic. After all, one would expect the situation to evolve. And that’s not what’s happening.
The president of the STM had already addressed the obstacles for women in promotion disputes based on merit in the second instance, as they are not fully accustomed to political transits.
“Women are not used to it and don’t even have time for this, because after all we are the protagonists not only of our jobs, but also of domestic duties, which we have to face, of children, of elderly people, we are the ones who deal with them, of husbands. This makes our journey difficult.”
Rocha assumed the presidency of the STM in 2025 after being elected. She became the first woman to command the top military court in the court’s more than 200-year history.
Graduated in law from PUC-MG (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais), she has a doctorate in constitutional law from the Faculty of Law of UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais).
She told journalists that she had suffered misogynistic attacks throughout her career. He cited the episode in which he took over the military court entirely, as well as when voting for the presidency, in which the casting vote was that of the minister herself due to internal resistance to her name.
More recently, the judge was targeted by a colleague in court. Minister Carlos Augusto Amaral Oliveira suggested that the president after her apologize institutionally to the victims of the military dictatorship.
Under his management, the STM must face one of the most awaited trials in its history, regarding the revocation of the patents of military personnel convicted by the (Supreme Federal Court) in the case of the coup plot, including the former president ().
According to the minister, there is an expectation that the trials will begin this year. The next step, however, involves rapporteurs and reviewers, who needed to release the cases for judgment. Rocha stated that he will not pressure the judges.
The minister refused to comment on the STF’s recent decision regarding pendants. The STM is one of the courts that paid ministers above the constitutional ceiling. According to her, there are still issues to be clarified, without specifying which ones.
