Gender, Violence and Politics

Abstract

This panel addresses different forms of gendered violence in politics and more broadly in the context of rise of racial right parties, political polarisation and the rise in violence, often gender-based, directed politicians both online and offline. The panel draws attention to abuse and hostility against candidates and candidates’ reactions and sources of resilience, the role of politicians and political discourse in shaping gender-based violence and analyses of other forms of violence as gendered. Empirically, the papers cover various national contexts and topics. The papers focus on the rhetoric of radical-right leadership reshapes social norms related to interpersonal violence through the case of the Likud party in Israel; a gendered analysis of environmental warfare through the case of the Gaza war; online violence on X platform directed at female and male candidates in 12 different EU countries; perpetrators of online hostility against candidates and candidates’ perceptions of this hostility in Belgium; as well as the sources of support motivation and resilience that sustain women’s political engagement despite ongoing abuse in UK, Germany and Pakistan.

Title	Details
When the Radical Right Leads: How Politics Shapes Gendered Violence	View Paper Details
The Power of Appreciation: Staying in Politics Despite Hostility and Abuse	View Paper Details
Gendered Logics of Environmental Warfare: Environmental Destruction in the Gaza War (2023–2025)	View Paper Details
Unveiling Online Violence Against Women in Politics: EU Political Candidates	View Paper Details
Behind the Comments. A Mixed-Methods Study of Perpetrators and Patterns of Online Hostility Toward (Women) Politicians	View Paper Details