Violence, Politics, and Gender

Abstract

This article presents a conceptual orientation to the intersection of gender, politics, and violence. The first part of the article will introduce the subject by reviewing the primary conceptual framework and empirical knowledge on the topic to date and discussing the theoretical heritage of the concept. Establishing a key distinction between gender-motivated and gender differentiated violence, this article will discuss the gender dimensions of political violence and the political dimensions of gender-based violence. The latter half of the article reviews a number of the key questions driving research and dialogue in the field in the 21st century.

The Cost of Doing Politics? Analyzing Violence and Harassment against Female Politicians

“…Some scholars argue that it is vital to study men and women together, recognizing that men are gendered beings and that comparison is essential for ascertaining whether or not gender plays a role (Bjarnegård 2018). Bolstering the case for this approach, a review by IFES of its electoral violence data finds that men are more often victims of physical violence, whereas women are more likely to face psychological violence (Bardall 2011). Some male politicians have also been targeted for gender-based attacks: Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold public office in the United States, was assassinated in 1978 by an antigay colleague.…”

Not Just Sticks and Stones: Psychological Abuse and Physical Violence among U.S. State Senators

“…Our focus on psychological abuse and physical violence follows the comparative theoretical and empirical literature on obstacles to women's rights to full, free, and safe participation in political processes (Bardall 2018; IPU 2016, 2018; Krook 2017; Krook and Restrepo Sanín 2020). Both psychological abuse and physical violence involve what Bjarnegård (2018) refers to as violations of personal integrity.…”

“…Among the research studies that focus on gender comparisons (Bjelland and Bjørgo 2014; Bjørgo and Silkoset 2018; Every-Palmer, Barry-Walsh, and Pathé 2015; James et al 2016), authors report that women face more abuse and violence than men. Further, women report more negative experiences in each specific type, especially sexualized abuse and violence (Bardall 2018; Bardall, Bjarnegård, and Piscopo 2019; Bjelland and Bjørgo 2014; Bjørgo and Silkoset 2018; Krook 2017, 2018; Krook and Restrepo Sanín 2016). Finally, comparative research also illuminates differences among women's experience of abuse and violence.…”

Critical perspectives on gender, politics and violence

“…One of the results is that rhetorical (if not physical) violence is largely normalized: violence is typically regarded as the "cost of doing politics" (Krook and Restrepo Sanín 2019), one of the prices to pay to have that degree of power and public visibility, to the point that abuse and intimidation directed at political candidates and elected officials are often considered a "commonplace" (Sabbagh 2019). Yet, while violence can be regarded as a structural component of the political arena, it is growingly acknowledged that men and women experience vastly different forms and frequencies of violence and that data disaggregation allows us to perceive the phenomenon as profoundly gender differentiated (see Bardall 2018).…”