Women account for 16% of mayoral candidacies in Paraguay’s 2026 municipal elections, compared with 12.9% in the 2021 elections. The increase is 3.1 percentage points, while men account for 84% of candidacies.
The data are contained in a report by the Gender Policies Directorate of the Supreme Tribunal of Electoral Justice (TSJE), Paraguay’s state electoral authority, prepared using information systematized by the Information and Communications Technology Directorate (ICT). The municipal elections are scheduled for October 4.
Among candidates for Municipal Councils, including titular and alternate members, women account for 32%, compared with 31.7% in 2021. In this category, therefore, the increase was just 0.3 percentage points, while men account for 68% of registrations.
The comparison makes it possible to track the presence of women and men in local contests and identify differences between offices. Growth is more visible among mayoral candidacies, but women remain underrepresented in the municipality’s top executive office. This representation matters because mayors and Municipal Councils help set local priorities and public policies; the gap between the figures also shows a gender disparity in access to municipal decision-making spaces.
To expand that space, the Gender Policies Directorate runs training and support programs for female candidates. They include the Political Training School for Women Leaders, which has trained more than 700 participants in 16 editions held in different departments and the capital. Some former students went on to hold elected office.
A training program exclusively for women running in the 2026 municipal elections was also created, along with lectures, seminars, workshops and panels focused on developing female leaders. Electoral Justice authorities say the initiatives seek to reduce representation gaps in municipal decision-making spaces.