Information cards: ‘Violence against women in politics’

Women and girls make up more than half of the population of the Republic of Moldova. However, they are underrepresented in the bodies that make important decisions that affect their lives. Also, although our country has committed to supporting the increase in women’s political participation by adopting a 40% gender quota in 2016 and by nationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality, women remain underrepresented in the country’s political and public leadership. Thus, after the 2019 local elections, we currently have less than 22% of female mayors out of the total number of mayors, 28.73% of female district councilors and 36.5% of female local councilors. However, as women’s participation in politics increases slightly, violence against them also increases. Violence against women in politics is any act of gender-based violence or threat that results in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering to women, which prevents them from exercising and realizing their political rights in public or private space.

UN Women Moldova has produced a set of information cards that explain key concepts about the phenomenon of violence against women in politics. Specifically, the set details the forms of violence against women in politics, who are the targets of this phenomenon and what are the long-term effects of violence against women in politics. The set also includes actions that authorities, media, political parties, but also each of us can take to prevent violence against women in politics and a legal supplement on the mechanisms for protecting women who face violence in politics and during elections in the Republic of Moldova.

Source: UN Women, 2023

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