Women occupy less than 10% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the Brazilian situation contrasts with an international trend of growth in the political representation of women. In dealing with this issue, this article considers cultural factors, in particular those related to the political culture and social capital. Using data from a national survey of 2006, the article analyses how social capital are structured by gender and considers the likely implication of this factor for men and women's political representation. Results indicate that men and women participate in different types of associations. Men tend to organize themselves into social groups more geared towards the public sphere whereas women involve themselves in groups which deal with practical daily issues related to the family and community life.
political representation; gender; social capital; political culture
