Intersectional VAWIP in the United Kingdom

Scholarly understandings of Violence against Women in Politics (VAWIP) and definitions by transnational organizations put forward that women in politics experience violence as a result of their gender and role in politics. From theories of intersectionality, however, we know that women are the product of multiple identities and that sexism cannot be isolated from other forms of discrimination, such as racism and homophobia. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Dubravka Šimonović, called for the inclusion of intersectionality—albeit briefly—in her 2018 report on VAWIP, joining appeals from academics (Restrepo Sanin, 2018) and practitioners (Alanis, 2018). We know anecdotally that women from underrepresented backgrounds face additional challenges in the public space. However, there are limited systematic studies on violence against politicians incorporating multiple forms of discrimination. How is violence against women in politics impacted by multiple forms of discrimination including, but not limited to, sexism? How can intersectional violence be measured? How might an intersectional understanding of VAWIP increase our understanding of violence against politicians and its broader implications? Utilizing social media data scraped from Facebook and Twitter, interviews, and comments by Members of Parliament (MPs), I discuss the targets, forms, and impacts of racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia against female, British MPs. Though images and threats are especially threatening for MPs who publicly identify as Jewish, Muslim, and BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnicity) other members of parliament have also been targeted with similarly discriminatory language. This abuse can be particularly pronounced following a personal policy stance, domestic crisis, or international political event. Methodologically, this paper proposes that VAWIP scholars utilize discourse and context in analyses of violence against politicians. Theoretically, I develop an intersectional understanding of VAWIP. Finally, I apply this theory empirically to the U.K. as well as consider generalizable implications.