Theme 4: Empowerment and harassment

Under this theme, we will discuss how political parties deal with issues ranging from empowerment of women and marginalized groups to harassment and violence. Karina Kosiara-Pedersen examines parties’ organisational dynamics in the context of #metoo and #enblandtos movements in Denmark, to assess why parties do (or not) adopt rules and procedures with regards to sexual harassment within their organisations. Carmen Geha evaluates the tensions between international agendas around ‘women’s empowerment’ and the realities of male-dominated political parties, who are often the preferred partners of international development organisations. Drawing on research on sectarian parties in Lebanon, she argues that international narratives of ‘empowerment’ ultimately marginalize women, placing the onus for change on women themselves, rather than on discriminatory party structures.