N11 - Workshop (Gender-Based Violence in the Political Sphere) Keynote: Violence Against Women in Politics
Date: Jun 3 | Time: 12:00pm to 01:00pm | Location:
Women have made significant inroads into politics in recent years, but in many parts of the world, their increased engagement has spurred physical attacks, intimidation, and harassment intended to deter their participation. Exploring how women came to give these experiences a name – violence against women in politics – and lobbied for its increased recognition by citizens, states, and international organizations, this talk draws on research in multiple disciplines to resolve lingering ambiguities regarding the contours of this phenomenon. Krook argues that violence against women in politics is not simply a gendered extension of existing definitions of political violence privileging physical aggressions against political rivals. Rather, it is a distinct phenomenon involving a broad range of harms to attack and undermine women as political actors. Illustrating what this violence looks like in practice using a wide range of country examples, she then considers how to document this phenomenon more effectively, as well as appreciate the political and social implications of allowing violence against women in politics to continue unabated. Arguing that violence against women in politics poses threats to democracy, human rights, and gender equality, she concludes that tackling this problem requires ongoing dialogue and collaboration to ensure women’s equal rights to participate – freely and safely – in political life around the globe.
Participants: Mona Lena Krook (Rutgers University)