3R - Recognize, Resist, Rise Up

Gender-Based Violence in Politics                  

Hate speech and harassment in politics affect people of all genders and all parties. However, women often experience a specific quality of such hostility: female politicians are frequently targeted solely because of their gender and are often subjected to sexist and sexualized forms of violence [2]. According to the human rights organization HateAid, nearly one in four politically active women has been threatened with sexual violence online. For politically active men, this figure is only 3%.

The consequences are severe: experiencing or being threatened with violence due to political activity (political violence) diminishes one's ability to act. It consumes capacity, fuels fear, and takes a toll. Those who have to protect and defend themselves have fewer resources to dedicate to the substance of their work, and sometimes, unfortunately, their ability to concentrate suffers due to the psychological burden [3]. Gender-based violence against female politicians is intended to silence women and push them out of the public sphere and back into the private. It is not uncommon for those affected to consider withdrawing from political discourse, adjusting their opinions, or even thinking about resigning from their mandate—some have already done so [4]. Gender-based violence in politics cements an already existing power imbalance and significantly hinders gender equality. By attempting to make women, their experiences, opinions, and interests in all their diversity invisible, their perspectives are excluded from decision-making processes. This is a danger to democracy.

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Our Plans 2025 - 2027                                

In the first year of the project (2025), we are collecting figures, data, and facts on the various forms of violence against women in politics, as well as on support services and best practices for protecting against and combating hate speech and harassment. In March 2025, members of the partner organizations met in Prague for the kick-off to define milestones and key indicators for measuring impact.

In the second year (2026), we will offer workshops and expert forums on empowering affected women and sharing best practices. Furthermore, we will develop guidelines and a declaration of commitment to build a broad alliance against gender-based violence in politics. Engaging with stakeholders and interested parties is essential to developing needs-oriented and actionable guidelines. The project will be accompanied by an online campaign. A project closing meeting is expected to take place in Berlin at the end of 2026.

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Funding                                

Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission (EC). Neither the European Union nor the EC can be held responsible for them.

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Publications                                

• Country Report for Germany on Gender-based Violence against Women in Politics
• Recognize, Resist, Rise Up – Tackling Gender-Based Violence against Women in Politics: Comparative Report (Comparative report on the situation in the five partner countries)
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• Elected First, Threatened Later? Experiences of Female Members of the Bundestag Regarding Hate Speech and Harassment in Politics

Sources                                

1. German Bundestag, 2024 (Document: 20/13124) https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/20/131/2013124.pdf
2. European Parliament, 2024: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2024)759600
3. Competence Network Against Online Hate, 2024: https://hateaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Studie_Lauter-Hass-leiser-Rueckzug.pdf
4. HateAid, 2025: https://hateaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/hateaid-tum-studie-angegriffen-und-alleingelassen-2025.pdf

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Further reading:

European Parliament briefing (2024) “Violence Against Women Active in Politics in the EU” (available in English): https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2024)759600