In February 2021, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador modified the Comprehensive Special Law for a Life Free of Violence for Women (Ley Especial Integral para una Vida Libre de Violencia para las Mujeres, LEIV) to codify violence against women in politics (VAW-P).

One of the most critical barriers to inclusive democracies and institutions is violence or threats of violence that directly impact women’s ability to participate in politics and in the media. While the two sectors have distinct challenges, violence against women in politics and in the media (VAW-PM) exhibits many of the same traits: individuals, institutions, and sociocultural norms mitigating against women working safely and equitably in male-dominated fields. Often, however, women in both fields are pitted against each other and encouraged to distrust each other.

The remarkable achievement of two women—Hon. Kessy Sawang and Hon. Rufina Peter—being elected to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Parliament after an all-male term (2017 - 2022) demonstrates that, despite tremendous barriers, there are openings in the political environment that can be leveraged to consolidate women’s representation in the country’s political institutions.

I have been studying violence against women in politics (VAW-P) from an academic perspective since 2014. Although VAW-P is a global phenomenon, my research focuses on Latin America. The tradition of transnational feminist and women’s movements in the region has strengthened the work of VAW-P activists who have mobilized to both raise awareness and combat this all too pervasive problem.