The FGV Chamber of Mediation and Arbitration, with the technical support of the Centro de Pesquisa e Documentação de História Contemporânea do Brasil da Fundação Getúlio Vargas (CPDOC/FGV), released the study “Mulheres na Arbitragem (2021–2023)”.
The study covers seven of the main arbitration institutions in the country and analyzes these three years of data, offering an interesting picture of the female presence in Brazilian arbitration. Although progress is noticeable, the numbers reveal that balance and full representation are still horizons to be reached.
The results confirm that there was no decrease in female participation in arbitrators’ lists during the period. However, male hegemony remains: 71.2% of listed professionals are men. This disparity deepens when we observe that the formation of all-female arbitral tribunals was six times lower than that of tribunals composed exclusively of men.
Despite this scenario, there are drivers of change propelled by the institutional stance of the Chambers: “when observing the cases in which the presidency was defined by the Arbitral Institutions, there is greater participation of women, with 55%”. This movement is also visible in the leadership of the Chambers themselves, with the inclusion of women in Director and Vice-Presidency positions starting in 2022.
FGV’s research plays an important role in Brazilian arbitration by shedding light on the topic, providing relevant data, and inviting institutions, law firms, companies, and professionals to rethink their practices. The next step is to transform information into action.
Strengthening arbitration in Brazil necessarily involves expanding the space of women in decision-making positions.
Access the full study: camara.fgv.br
