✓ verbatim from the press
First Lady Janja da Silva called pastor Silas Malafaia 'insignificant' on Monday (8), during the 4th National Meeting of PT Evangelicals, in response to criticism made by the religious leader about her meetings with evangelical women. 'He had the nerve to go on social media and say I was talking to insignificant women. He's the insignificant one, because every woman is important to me,' said Janja, who also stated she doesn't refer to him as a pastor. ✓
Press quotes (1)
"Ele teve a cara de pau de ir em uma rede social e falar que eu estava conversando com mulheres insignificantes. Insignificante é ele, porque toda mulher, para mim, é importante", disse Janja sobre o líder religioso. Ela também afirmou que não se refere a ele como pastor."
The clash originates from August 2025, when Malafaia criticized a meeting organized by Janja with women at Igreja Coletivação, in Ceilândia (DF). At the time, the pastor alleged that the participants had 'not a shred of expression in the evangelical world.' The First Lady defended her meetings regardless of the number or prominence of participants: 'it doesn't matter if I held a meeting with two, three, two hundred, or a thousand. What matters is that I talked, what matters is that I listened to them.' ✓
Press quotes (1)
"O episódio mencionado ocorreu após uma entrevista concedida por Malafaia em agosto do ano passado, depois de a primeira-dama organizar uma reunião com mulheres na Igreja Coletivação, em Ceilândia, no Distrito Federal. Na ocasião, o pastor alegou que as participantes não possuíam "nenhum pingo de expressão no mundo evangélico"."
According to Janja, the initial objective of the meetings was to 'understand what obstacles these women saw in us from the progressive field.' Over time, she said she realized that 'the difficulties women feel in their territories are the same as those of a progressive woman and a right-wing woman. This separation doesn't exist.' The First Lady stated she intends to continue promoting the meetings. ✓
Press quotes (1)
"A primeira-dama também ressaltou que o objetivo inicial dos encontros com mulheres evangélicas era "entender quais eram os obstáculos que essas mulheres viam em nós do campo progressista"."
The clash between Janja and Malafaia occurred in the context of PT efforts to approach evangelical voters
Covered by only some sources, or where the accounts diverge.
Covered by only some sources (2)
Evangelicals represent 26.9% of the Brazilian population according to the 2022 Census, with 55.4% being women
Lula did not attend the March for Jesus in São Paulo, sending minister Jorge Messias instead
-
What was the specific content of Malafaia's social media statements in August 2025?
Why it's still unknown: Sources reference the criticism but don't reproduce the full text of the posts.
-
How many women participated in the meetings organized by Janja since 2025?
Why it's still unknown: There are no specific data about the number of participants in the various meetings held.
-
What will be Malafaia's response to Janja's statements?
Why it's still unknown: The pastor has not yet publicly responded to the First Lady's statements.