Pre-candidate for president cites women’s “attributions at home” and argues that male beneficiaries should be encouraged to complete primary and secondary education
The pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic (Novo) stated this Monday (June 22, 2026) that, if elected, will not require study from women beneficiaries of the , in a possible change in the program’s rules.
According to him, the measure would have a priority focus on young men and adults, while women would be treated differently because, according to his assessment, they have “other duties at home”.
“Firstly, I target men a lot. Women have other responsibilities at home, they have children, they have a very big difference in relation to men”declared Zema during the press conference at the event “Industry on the Presidential Candidates’ Agenda”, promoted by the National Confederation of Industry, in Brasília.
R$5,000 for those who leave
In the same speech, the former governor of Minas Gerais argued that are encouraged to complete stages of basic education and seek entry into the job market, with stricter rules aimed especially at men.
Zema also stated that the proposal seeks to reduce dependence on social programs and encourage financial autonomy. He criticized what he classified as “populism” e “paternalism” in public policies and said that he intends to create mechanisms to encourage people to leave Bolsa Família for formal jobs.
The miner defended that the federal government adopts mechanisms to encourage beneficiaries to enter the formal job market. Zema proposed the payment of a bonus of R$5,000 to those who leave the social program after achieving .
“I’m going to give a prize of R$5,000. This prize, in 5 or 6 months, will be paid off”he declared. If the program’s minimum payment of R$600 is considered, it would take 8.3 months to pay off the prize promised by Zema.
According to the former governor of Minas Gerais, the measure would be offset by the revenue generated with the formalization of the worker and the reduction in benefit payments.
Next, Zema stated that prolonged stay in the social program without professional qualifications harms the insertion of in the job market.
“This perpetuates a generation that I have called almost useless. Because in 5, 10 years, no one will qualify. No one is prepared for a job market that demands more and more knowledge”he declared.
Bolsa Família
Bolsa Família is the largest income transfer program in the history of Brazil. In June, 19.35 million families will receive an average benefit of R$677.66. In November 2025, there were 18.66 million registrations. were admitted in the general balance.
