Making Politics Safer: Gendered Violence and Electoral Temporalities in Africa

Violence against women is increasingly coming into focus in the global gender debate. This follows wide and in-depth studies on women’s representation in political institutions.

By investigating violence in electoral cycles, studies on its gendered aspect have shed light on the limits of formal agenda setting, especially in contexts where informal normative environments influence attitudes and behaviour in formal institutional set-ups, as is the case across many Sub-Saharan African contexts.

This study therefore investigates this reality by focusing on gendered violence and electoral temporalities in Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.

By adopting a participatory and qualitative approach in engaging key stakeholders in sub-national politics, the study explores forms of gendered electoral violence that women in politics are exposed to, and investigates how intersectional categories such as age, class, ethnicity, and party affiliation shape women’s exposure to gendered electoral violence.

Further, the research aims to highlight coping strategies that women in politics use to prevent cases of violence, and the networks and institutions in place to help prevent and deal with instances of gendered electoral violence.

Quantitative methods will also be adopted in analysing results and augmenting perspectives, informing the study’s goal of contributing to a deeper theorization of gendered electoral violence across Africa, and influencing empowerment policy actions