Online social media have become increasingly popular and available, showing that “the ways in which people communicate and share information have changed rapidly”.[1] This profound transformation of the communications landscape has had an impact on electoral processes, changing the channels used by citizens and voters to obtain information, the EMBs’ communication strategies, and the platforms where candidates present their political ideas and programs.

Social media can offer men and women a space to exercise their right to freedom of expression and participate in public life as committed citizens. It also offers women politicians and candidates a platform to present themselves and their political programs before citizens. Considering “its low cost and the role that personal initiative plays in its use”, social media “can serve as an equalizer for female parliamentarians who are otherwise politically disadvantaged”, having the potential to advance women’s participation in politics.[2]

According to a 2013 European Parliament study, new media has a potential positive impact on women’s empowerment, allowing them to “network with other women, create on line selves which build confidence, appeal to other women and peers through styles and issues that are directly relevant and attractive, and provide alternative power basis which might be of interest to mainstream politicians.” Online political communication, especially through social media, allow politicians to have more control over their own messages, and this works especially well for unelected or young women, whose status makes them less likely to be constrained by the political party apparatus.[3]

A 2016 survey carried out by the Women in Parliaments Global Forum, Facebook and the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy of the Harvard Kennedy School, analyzed the use of social media by female parliamentarians in 107 countries. Its findings showed that more than 85 percent of female parliamentarians surveyed make use of social media, especially during the campaign period. The findings of this research include detailed information about most used online platforms, most common audiences, as well as age, income and motherhood of women parliamentarians using social media. Facebook was by far the most used platform, being used by 90 percent of female parliamentarians surveyed. The primary audience comprised voters, constituents and campaign teams, followed by elite audiences, such as journalists and other politicians. Age and income seem to be significant factors determining social media use, with a higher use among respondents under 50 years of age and among those of very high or above average income. Motherhood was not a factor determining social media use of female politicians surveyed, since respondents with children were as active as the rest. [4]

Effective use of social media can help women candidates improve their communication strategies during the campaign. Capacity building and training initiatives aiming at improving social media knowledge and skills of women in politics can strengthen their communication strategies and voter outreach plans.

Social media can also be a hostile space for women in politics, with increasing attacks and very limited restrictions to harassment, defamation and threats. Anonymity and impunity for perpetrators of online violence against women makes it difficult to reverse this trend, but certain communication strategies can help women respond to online abuse. In March 2018, an Expert Group Meeting on “Violence Against Women in Politics” was organized in New York by UN Women, the OHCHR and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences. The report of this meeting gives account of the extent, nature and implications of online violence against women politicians and presents existing approaches to prevent and combat this kind on violence.[5]

Example: In Armenia, the Council of Europe provided social media training for female candidates, with the purpose of “creating a pool of experts […] able to enhance knowledge and skills on social media for female candidates to be used in 2016 local elections and to offer them individual coaching if requested”. The initiative comprised a workshop on Women in Politics and Representation Online, as well as a two-day Training of Trainers on Understanding Social Media for Women Candidates. The topics addressed during these activities included principles of social media, major social media sites, social media strategy and measuring social media, among others.[6]

Example: In the United States of America, the organization VoteRunLead provides candidate training for women from all political parties, addressing online harassment, violence and trolling, among other issues. Its CEO, Erin Vilardi, suggests communication strategies to deal with online abuse: “report it to police if there are safety concerns, use humor if possible […] and, lastly, find an opportunity to do something more long form, like writing an op-ed about the incident”.[7]

Example: In Iraq, a series of defamation campaigns in social media targeted women candidates in the 2018 parliamentary elections, as denounced by the United Nation’s Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq. The SRSG urged political parties and other relevant stakeholders to fight this harmful practice, which undermines electoral integrity and democratic governance.[8]