The Cost of Doing Politics: Gender Aspects of Political Violence

Abstract

Across the globe, there has been a substantial increase in gender equality in political life. Women have more than doubled their presence in national parliaments from 1995 (11.3 %) to 2022 (26.4%) (Inter-Parliamentary Union). However, there are indications that women’s political gains may have come at a high cost. Practitioner organizations as well as academics seek to raise awareness about physical attacks, intimidation, and harassment aimed at women politicians. Violence against political actors has the potential to undermine democratic practices and deny both men and women their civil and political rights to engage in decision-making. If women cannot access, participate in, and influence politics on the same terms as men, then these hurdles require particular attention to ensure political equality in political processes. The research field on gender aspects of political violence is rapidly evolving. Most studies have, hitherto, focused on the extent to which the experience of political violence is gendered while comparative research on the topic is still scarce. This panel includes research that aims to better understand how gender shapes the scope, form, and consequences of political violence targeted at politicians, and to develop strategies to reduce the problem. The focus is on gender aspects of political violence in carefully selected countries in two regions -- Africa (Ghana and Uganda) and Europe (Ireland and Norway) thus allowing for cross-country comparisons. The panel comprises papers coming out of the research project The Cost of Doing Politics: Gender Aspects of Political Violence (Research Council of Norway Project No. 300618).

Title	Details
Voters and violence. Exploring Dutch Voters’ Perspectives and Reactions on (Gendered) Political Violence	View Paper Details
Response strategies to political violence in Ireland	View Paper Details
Low levels of normalized political violence, but candidates not deterred: elections for parliament in Ghana	View Paper Details
Gender aspects of political violence in Uganda: A comparison of candidates on open -and reserved seats	View Paper Details
Who cares? Gender-Generation Gaps in the Acceptance of Political Micro-Aggressions	View Paper Details
Response strategies to political violence in Ireland	View Paper Details