Taking into account the relations between associativism and democracy, this paper analyzes the associative and participatory profiles of Brazilian congresswomen elected for the last three terms. Data were taken from the profile of these congresswomen that is available on the internet portal of the Chamber of Deputies and on their personal websites. A significant number of associative bonds were found throughout these women's careers, focusing on certain associative modalities. Our data also pointed to affinities between certain associative bonds and party affiliation, leading to the conclusion that the study of the relations between associativism and political representation provides important clues to the processes surrounding political inclusion of women.
associativism; political representation; gender; democracy
