Back to search

FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam

The Cost of Doing Politics: Gender Aspects of Political Violence

Alternative title: Politikkens pris: Kjønn og politisk vold

Awarded: NOK 12.0 mill.

Across the globe, there has been a substantial increase in gender equality in political life. Women have more than doubled their presence in national parliaments from 1995 (11.3 %) to 2022 (26.4%) (Inter-Parliamentary Union). However, there are indications that women’s political gains may have come at a high cost. Practitioner organizations as well as academics seek to raise awareness about physical attacks, intimidation, and harassment aimed at women politicians. This project aims to better understand how gender shapes the scope, form, and consequences of political violence targeted at politicians, and to develop strategies to reduce the problem. Violence against political actors has the potential to undermine democratic practices and deny both men and women their civil and political rights to engage in decision-making. If women cannot access, participate in, and influence politics on the same terms as men, then these hurdles require particular attention to ensure political equality in political processes. The research field on gender aspects of political violence is rapidly evolving. Most studies have, hitherto, focused on the extent to which the experience of political violence is gendered. We know from a large body of research that certain types of conflicts are more likely to cause violence against politicians. We know less about which types of conflict that generate gendered responses. Importantly, violence can be gendered in scope, so that the level of violence differs between men and women, and in form, so that the level of different forms of violence is gendered. In this research project, an international research team will provide a comprehensive, multi-method examination of if and how gender shapes political violence targeting politicians in carefully selected countries in two regions -- Africa (Ghana and Uganda) and Europe (Ireland and Norway). The project contributes to new knowledge of the scope, form, and consequences of violence. A specific project strength is how the design allows for comparison of gender aspects of political violence across contexts.

Across the globe, there has been a substantial increase in gender equality in political life over the last few decades as women have more than doubled their presence in national parliaments from 1995 (11.3 %) to 2018 (23.4%). However, there are indications that women’s political gains may have come at a high cost. There is growing awareness and reports of physical attacks, intimidation, and harassment aimed at women politicians, in academia as well as among practitioner organizations. This has brought the problem of political violence to the fore. Because of the lack of systematic analyses that compare men's and women's experiences, we do not yet know if the cost of doing politics is higher (or different) for women than for men, or if the violence against women, as relative newcomers to the political sphere, draws increased attention to the cost of politics for all political actors. The proposed project aims to provide a better understanding of how gender shapes the scope, form, and consequences of political violence targeting politicians, as well as to develop response strategies to reduce the problem. It distinguishes itself from existing research in at least four ways: (i) it uses a multi-method approach to analyze gender differences in the extent and type of political violence experienced; (ii) it introduces a new comparative perspective both within and across regions by focusing on six carefully selected countries in two regions (Africa and Europe); (iii) it takes seriously the important step to also investigate the gendered consequences of violence against political actors; and (iv) it makes use of an innovative design thinking methodology to study gender sensitive responses to political violence. The project examines gender aspects of political violence (GAPV) across three pairs of regimes: established democracies (Ireland and Norway), new democracies (Cabo Verde and Ghana), and authoritarian dominant party regimes (Uganda and Tanzania).

Funding scheme:

FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam