In event with evangelical women, Caiado praises women's influence on country's decisions

Presidential hopeful Ronaldo Caiado spoke to a gathering of evangelical women in Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing their significant influence on household decisions and their central role in family formation and protection. Addressing the Congress of the Confederation of Evangelical Sisters Worldwide (Cibem), Caiado asserted that women's impact extends beyond the home, shaping national choices.

"Sometimes, we hear some statements that are totally unfounded, when they say that perhaps women do not opine on the country's decisions, that they are really often just following their husband's reasoning. I want to say that it is exactly the opposite," Caiado stated, according to g1. He drew a parallel with his own family, noting that his wife and Bishop Neusa are more influential and make more accurate decisions than he does.

Caiado further attributed to women the primary role in structuring the family and raising children. "You are the ones who have all this capacity and sensitivity to be mothers, to raise children, to structure our homes... This is the truth, the true power of women. We are much more of a matriarchal creation," he added.

The pre-candidate's remarks come as political campaigns increasingly target female voters, who represent 52.85% of Brazil's electorate, totaling approximately 82 million voters. Caiado's comments appear to counter recent statements by Paulo Figueiredo, an ally of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who claimed women "vote very badly" and tend to follow their husbands' political leanings, particularly single women. These assertions have drawn criticism, with Senator Soraya Thronicke calling for an investigation into whether Figueiredo's remarks constitute political gender-based violence.