The role of information and communication technologies in facilitating and resisting gendered forms of political violence 1

Violence against Women in Politics: Female Politicians' Experience with Political Violence in Jamaica

“…This is in line with arguments by Håkansson (2021) and Rheault, Rayment, and Musulan (2019) that high‐profile female politicians are more likely to experience political violence than other women. As female politicians rise to prominence and increase their political visibility, they also become more vulnerable to gendered political violence targeted at women (Bardall, 2011). An increased presence of women in politics can also trigger a backlash response among those who view that presence as disruptive to the status quo and as a challenge to gendered power relations.…”

“…The form of violence also differs for both categories of violence in politics. Political violence usually entails physical and psychological violence; whereas violence against women includes physical and psychological violence but also economic violence, sexual assaults, character assassination, and harassment (Bardall, 2011; UN Women, 2018; Krook, 2020; Krook and Restrepo Sanín, 2020). Violence against women in politics is perpetrated by political actors, societal actors, and state actors.…”

“…Common perpetrators from these groups include political party leaders, party members, voters, media, and the police. Males are often portrayed as the perpetrators of violence against women, and women as harmless victims, but VAWIP (and violence generally) is perpetrated by both male and female actors — and sometimes by both groups concurrently (Bardall, 2011).…”

“…It is pervasive and widespread, and it seriously violates women's enjoyment of their human rights. Numerous scholars have documented cases of violence against women in politics (Bardall, 2011; Bjarnegård, 2021; Bjarnegård, Håkansson, and Zetterberg, 2020; Kellow, 2010; Krook, 2017; Krook and Restrepo Sanín, 2016, 2020; Piscopo, 2015, 2016; Restrepo Sanin, 2018; UN Women, 2018; Valverde, 2011). In recent years, there has been ‘a troubling rise in reports of assault, intimidation, and abuse directed at female politicians’ (Krook and Restrepo Sanín, 2020: 740).…”

Critical perspectives on gender, politics and violence

“…Like most phenomena in the realm of politics, digital forms of violence and abuse against political actors are also profoundly gendered: statistics show that they affect women in politics disproportionately in comparison to their male counterparts (Atalanta 2018) and they now represent one the most prevalent forms of violence against women in politics, with 6 MPs and parliamentary staff out of 10 being targeted across Europe (Inter-Parliamentary Union 2018). Under the cloak of innocent gossip or harmless humour, terabytes of content which delegitimize, objectify, shame and sexualize female candidates are being 'prosumed' on a daily basis across the cybersphere (see Bardall 2017).…”