Origin
#EleNão (“Not Him”) emerged in September 2018 as Brazil’s largest women-led protest movement against far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. The movement was born from a Facebook group “Women United Against Bolsonaro” (Mulheres Unidas Contra Bolsonaro), which grew from zero to 3.8 million members in 48 hours before Facebook shut it down on September 14, citing “suspicious activity.”
The closure sparked outrage and galvanized the movement. Within days, organizers reconstituted as multiple regional groups and scheduled nationwide protests for September 29, 2018.
Mass Mobilization
The September 29 protests became the largest women’s demonstrations in Brazilian history:
- São Paulo: 150,000+ protesters
- Rio de Janeiro: 100,000+
- Over 100 cities across Brazil and internationally (London, Paris, New York, Lisbon)
- Total estimated: 1+ million participants
Women wore purple (feminist movement color in Latin America) and carried signs reading “Ele Não” alongside slogans against misogyny, homophobia, and authoritarianism. The protest unified diverse constituencies: feminists, LGBTQ+ activists, environmentalists, anti-fascists, and defenders of democratic institutions.
Political Context
Bolsonaro’s candidacy alarmed many Brazilians due to his record of inflammatory statements:
- 2014: Told Congresswoman Maria do Rosário she “didn’t deserve to be raped” because she was “too ugly”
- Multiple instances: Praised Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964-1985)
- Public statements: Expressed homophobia, racism, and misogyny
- Environmental stance: Promised to open Amazon to development, weaken Indigenous protections
#EleNão positioned Bolsonaro as an existential threat to women’s rights, democracy, and social progress.
Electoral Impact
Despite massive protests, Bolsonaro won the October 28, 2018 runoff with 55.1% against Workers’ Party candidate Fernando Haddad. Post-election analysis revealed:
#EleNão succeeded in:
- Mobilizing women voters (women broke 54-46 against Bolsonaro)
- Increasing female political engagement
- Creating sustained feminist organizing infrastructure
But failed to overcome:
- Anti-PT (Workers’ Party) sentiment after corruption scandals
- Economic anxiety following 2014-2016 recession
- Law-and-order concerns amid rising crime
- WhatsApp misinformation campaigns
- Evangelical Christian support for Bolsonaro (69%)
Legacy
#EleNão didn’t stop Bolsonaro’s 2018 victory but established organizing networks that:
- 2020: Led municipal election campaigns electing record numbers of women
- 2022: Mobilized for Bolsonaro’s defeat (Lula won 50.9% in runoff)
- Ongoing: Continued as feminist organizing infrastructure
The movement demonstrated the power and limitations of social media activism in electoral politics. While it energized opposition and created viral mobilization, it couldn’t overcome deeper polarization, misinformation, and economic grievances.
#EleNão became a global symbol of anti-authoritarian resistance, inspiring similar campaigns worldwide and contributing to the “pink wave” of women’s political mobilization in Latin America.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/
https://www.aljazeera.com/