Gender and Election Violence

Women’s political participation is increasing exponentially in emerging democracies however one of the greatest barriers women face – electoral violence – is deeply misunderstood. This article reveals and defines the gendered nature of electoral violence through the analysis of over 2,000 documented cases collected in six countries between 2006 and 2010. I demonstrate that women’s experience with electoral violence is profoundly different from that of men. While men and women both experience (and perpetrate) violence as candidates, representatives, voters, party supporters and in other public roles, the forms of electoral violence that women experience are radically different, including socio-psychological and sexual violence. The perpetrators of electoral violence against women are distinct as are the locations in which violence occurs and the ways in which it is reported. Because women’s experience of violence is different than that of men, its impact on their participation is also distinct. This article addresses a pressing gap in International Relations. Women’s political participation is a defining characteristic of democratization processes around the world. The conceptual framework for electoral violence must be revisited to reflect the reality of women’s experience and to provide a basis for protection and prevention.