- A post-election analysis on the situation for Zimbabwean women in politics

As the democratic space to protest and oppose the status quo has diminished in Zimbabwe, social media has increasingly become a platform for political debate for many Zimbabweans with its pros and cons. On the one hand, social media is an effective tool for political agency as it allows women in politics to access a larger political base, campaign for support, share ideas with each other and the electorate, and engage in activism. But on the other hand, social media exposes women in politics to online violence. A new policy note from the Nordic Africa Institute on the situation for women in politics in Zimbabwe post the 2023 election, highlights how gendered online violence against women in politics has escalated. Furthermore, it demonstrates how specific groups of women in politics are more susceptible to this form of semiotic violence. The webinar launches the policy note, which also includes information about other types of gendered electoral violence and the misappropriation of the quota for women in politics in Zimbabwe. The webinar also includes insights from Zimbabwean women who are actively involved in politics on the ground.

The webinar is the third in a series and part of a new research project at The Nordic Africa Institute entitled ‘Making Politics Safer – Gendered Violence and Electoral Temporalities in Africa’ with a specific 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. The Zimbabwe part of the project is done in collaboration with Great Zimbabwe University.

Watch the recorded webinar here:

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