Defending Democracy in Digital Spaces: Ending Violence Against Women in Politics Online

Political violence is unfolding in our pockets-on our phones and devices and across the social media we consume-and it is targeting women in politics. This paper analyzes trends emerging from IFES' global qualitative and quantitative social media research in 7 countries (Zimbabwe, Haiti, Afghanistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Ukraine). Gender-based online violence is a global phenomenon; in each country IFES has researched, we find salient examples of online aggression linked to women's political participation and expression of free speech. Our research takes a nuanced look at the contours of violence against women in politics online (VAWP-Online). These interim findings of IFES' ongoing research reveal an intensifying spiral of online incivility, information disorders, hate speech and overt violence directed at women in public leadership roles.