Gender in Elections: The Consequences of Killing Women Activists

Abstract

Violence against social activists is a global phenomenon, increasingly prevalent in democratic and conflict-affected states. Violence targeting women activists, in particular, highlights the intersection of gender-based discrimination and the risks associated with activism. We theorize that the killings of women activists reduce both women’s motivation to run for office and voters’ willingness to elect women candidates, driven by fears of further retaliation from armed groups and a demand for masculine norms in politics. Using novel fine-grained data on violence against activists, we demonstrate that the killings of women activists in Colombia decrease women’s candidacies and lower voter support for women in mayoral elections. Additional analyses suggest that women’s visibility during peace negotiations and prior territorial control by left-wing FARC rebels mitigated this effect, emphasizing the role of norms in shaping the political consequences of violence. Our findings reveal that considering the gender of victims offers important insights into how exposure to violence influences democratic elections in countries affected by political and criminal violence.