From margins to power: Resistance leadership by Brazilian women’s collective candidates

This paper offers an introduction to the transformative impact of collective candidacies on Brazil’s political representation. Focusing on the experience of ‘Juntas,’ a feminist collective that held office from 2018 to 2022, I argue they illustrate a resistance leadership practice moving people from the margins to the centre of formal political power. This practice works via a feminist and intersectional political mandate with the participation of diverse bodies, identities, and voices of civil society. The paper highlights the significance of Juntas as a platform that resisted traditional leadership, a unique model for future women’s collective candidacies, and a varied and intersectional example that can motivate critical leadership researchers to explore Global South leadership knowledge and practice.