Women have made significant inroads into political life in recent years, but in many parts of the world, their increased engagement has spurred attacks, intimidation, and harassment. Drawing on her recent book, Violence against Women in Politics (Oxford University Press, 2022), Krook argues that this phenomenon is not simply a gendered extension of existing definitions of political violence, but rather, a distinct form of violence aimed at preventing and undermining women as political actors. In this presentation, she will trace the emergence of the concept of violence against women in politics, illustrate what it looks like in practice, and discuss emerging solutions around the world.

The webinar is part of a new research project at The Nordic Africa Institute entitled ‘Making Politics Safer – Gendered Violence and Electoral Temporalities’ with a focus on Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe looking into the local manifestations in these contexts. The project explores the intersectional perspectives on gendered violence against women in local politics and how African realities speak back to broader debates on this topic.

Watch the recorded webinar here: