Does Violence Against Women affect Political Participation? Evidence from a Multi-Country Study

The negative impact of violence against women (VAW), particularly intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual violence (NSPV), on women’s health, their income potential and their capabilities has been acknowledged. However, only in very recent years has there been the development of a nascent interest in the role that violence against women plays in shaping women’s political engagement and participation. Given that up to one third of women will experience violence during their lifetime, the potential impact on political participation and engagement is of considerable importance with consequences for gender equitable political representation and gender equality more broadly. While it is commonly understood that the experience of violence may result in trauma, including a withdrawal from social activities and engagement, or the violence itself may prevent women from attending community or other groups, researchers are only beginning to understand how the violence in the lives of many women affects their participation in political processes, including voting in an election or standing for political office. Despite small-scale studies and anecdotal evidence suggesting this impact, there is a dearth of rigorous evidence to support such claims. In this paper we aim to address this knowledge gap by examining data drawn from a large-scale (7000+ women), multi-country, mixed-method study funded by the UK Department for International Development, currently underway in Pakistan, Ghana and South Sudan, part of the What Works to Prevent VAWG programme. We will examine how the experience of violence affects participation and engagement across a number of indicators, how types of violence (e.g. IPV, NSPV or other interpersonal violence experienced by women e.g. assault by a non-partner) impact participation and the extent to which the overall political environment mediates this impact.