Despite limited data, research suggests that VAWE is present across all countries and regions. Mapping and collecting data about VAWE is a critical step for its mitigation and prevention, since it contributes to assess women’s participation in elections, assists in the identification of hotspots and patterns of violence, and facilitates the implementation of prevention and response measures. Country specific and regional assessments can help better understand the nature, causes and implications of VAWE, through both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. VAWE mappings can also be conducted by EMBs or be integrated as part of broader security assessments carried out by civil society and other organizations. The sensitive nature of this issue and the unwillingness of survivors to testify pose major limitations to data gathering in this area.[1] 

Gathering data on VAWE can be quite challenging, since general methodological frameworks to assess VAW, such as the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) global indicators or the United Nations Statistics Commission’s core VAW indicators, often lack specific measures for the political dimension. A wide range of indicators have been proposed to measure VAWE, including both quantitative measurements, such as frequency of incidents or types of attacks, as well as qualitative indicators. Ideally, measurements of VAWE should consider VAWE prevalence (i.e. proportion of victims among general population), VAWE incidence (i.e. number of incidents over a determined period of time) and targeted periods (such as a specific stage of the election cycle or over a long period of time). Crowd-sourced data and open-source data visualization tools can provide an effective platform to track VAWE incidents.[2]

Example: In Pakistan, UN Women carried out a study in 2016 on challenges to women’s political participation, with a major focus on violence against women in the electoral process. The study aimed to identify the types of VAWE in order to encourage adequate policy measures and legal reform, engaging the Election Commission of Pakistan and other key stakeholders.[3]

Example: In Latin America, UN Women’s Training Centre in the Dominican Republic developed a research project on violence against women in politics to support the implementation of the 2007 Quito Consensus for women’s empowerment. The project included four studies and mapping of political violence in Costa Rica (2011), El Salvador (2012), Ecuador (2012) and Bolivia (2012), contributing to develop theoretical and methodological frameworks to address this issue.[4] 

Example: In India, Nepal and Pakistan, UN Women and the Centre for Social Research (India) conducted a regional study on violence against women in politics in 2014 to understand the extent and motivations behind violence against women in politics and elections. It also aimed at raising awareness by identifying and disseminating good practices for mitigation through a consultative workshop.[5] 

Example: In Tanzania, the local civil society organization Tanzania Women Cross Party Platform (TWCP) collected data on VAWE before, during and after the 2015 general elections, with support from UN Women. TWCP deployed more than 50 trained VAWE monitors across the country, aided by NEC regional election coordinators and equipped with monitoring checklists and questionnaires. VAWE monitors attended a total of 530 election-related events to observe women’s participation and occurrence of VAWE. They also held structured interviews with a total of 1,532 respondents, including women and men voters, local leaders and influential community members, as well as women candidates for parliamentary and local elections. According to the findings, 69 percent of consulted women candidates reported abusive language, verbal harassment and insults, 17 percent said they had been physically attacked and 13 percent reported demands for sexual favors. Among female respondents, 53 percent declared not voting because of fear of violence, lacking voter cards or pressure from their spouse.[6] 

Example: In Zimbabwe, IFES conducted a VAWE assessment in the framework of the 2018 electoral process. Its findings showed that women candidates were at the forefront of VAWE, facing intense psychosocial violence, especially attacks on their moral probity and occasional physical violence. Intra-party abuse and violence are widespread and the generalized risk of electoral violence deters women from attending political rallies and events. Extensive online intimidation and harassment degrades and deters political women and aspirants.[7]

Example: In Haiti, IFES conducted a VAWE pilot assessment during the 2016 electoral process. Its findings showed that endemic electoral violence, particularly on Election Day, deters women’s participation. Women face physical, psychological and financial violence hindering their participation, in a male-dominated political context with weak party and judicial systems.[8] 

Example: In Bangladesh, IFES conducted a study in 2016 aiming to analyze the effects of violence on women’s participation in politics and elections. Its findings showed that the country’s violent political culture hampers the participation of women. Many women experience psychological violence within the household, including intimidation and harassment. Women candidates are often victims of sexual violence and their access to financial resources is frequently withheld. Some women are perpetrators of electoral violence and use it to limit voter choice within the home and slander other candidates in the public space.[9]