Tweets That Chill: Analyzing Online Violence Against Women in Politics

In the three case study countries (Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya), NDI's Gender, Women, and Democracy team worked with women in politics, those in civic technology and women’s rights organizations to develop a way to examine the country specific challenges facing women as they engage in online political discourse. The outcomes of the case studies confirmed that across the three countries women engaging in politics online experienced similar types of violence including insults and hate speech, embarrassment and reputational risk, physical threats, and sexualized misrepresentation. While the report represents the right step forward in eliminating barriers to political participation for women, it also highlights the need for additional research to understand and mitigate the impact of online violence.