Jubilee Post News & Views
Vatsla Srivastava
In 2007, I sat in shock as news of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination flashed across my television screen. As an 11-year-old, I struggled to comprehend how one of South Asia’s most formidable leaders, the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country could be brutally murdered in broad daylight. It wasn’t just an attack on an individual, it was a chilling message to women in power everywhere. Closer to home, India has witnessed its own tragedies. Indira Gandhi, the Iron Lady of India, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar.
Beyond political motivations, gendered hate played a significant role in the relentless vilification she endured throughout her career. Decades later, Mayawati, India’s first Dalit woman Chief Minister, barely escaped an attempted lynching at the Lucknow State Guest House in 1995 , a grim reminder that women in politics remain vulnerable to physical and psychological violence, no matter their stature.
But violence against women in politics is not always as visible as assassinations or physical attacks. It is systemic, insidious, and deeply entrenched in the very structures meant to uphold democracy. Political violence against women manifests in many forms, threats, harassment, character assassination, and even digital abuse, all aimed at discouraging their participation in political life.
The Relentless Attacks on Women in Politics
Today, prominent Indian women politicians like Mahua Moitra, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Smriti Irani, Nusrat Jahan, Alka Lamba, Swati Maliwal, Shazia Ilmi, Atishi, and countless others face relentless attacks both online and offline. Their gender, caste, religion, and social status often determine the kind of abuse they endure. Dalit, Bahujan, Adivasi, and Muslim women in politics are particularly targeted with casteist and communal slurs, reinforcing deep-rooted hierarchies that seek to silence them.
Chandrani Murmu, the youngest-ever Lok Sabha MP from Odisha, experienced this firsthand. At just 25, she was subjected to a vile campaign of digital violence when a morphed video of hers was deliberately circulated on social media. It was more than an attempt to humiliate her, it was a calculated warning to other young women who dared to enter politics. Online harassment has become one of the most powerful tools to discredit and silence women
in politics. A 2020 report by Amnesty India revealed that Indian women politicians face significantly higher levels of abuse on social media than their counterparts in the U.S. or the U.K. Alarmingly, one in seven tweets directed at them is problematic or abusive. The study found that online abuse in English declined during election periods, but abuse in Hindi remained consistently high, likely due to Twitter’s selective moderation policies. The message is clear: when women enter politics, their safety both physical and digital is immediately compromised.
The Systemic Barriers Women Face
Violence against women in politics is not just about individual attacks; it is about a system that discourages and punishes their participation. A 2014 UN Woman Study on violence against women in India, Pakistan, and Nepal found that first-generation women in politics face multiple forms of discrimination, not just from their political opponents but from within their own parties, families, law enforcement, and society at large.
Despite the 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions since 1992, women sarpanches and grassroots leaders continue to face relentless political violence. Deep-seated feudal mindsets resist their leadership, treating them as mere figureheads while male relatives hold real power. Women in these positions are routinely undermined, threatened, and even physically assaulted for daring to lead.
Beyond violence, women face other systemic barrier like the lack of mentorship and political backing where many women struggle to sustain political careers due to the absence of strong networks and support systems. There are also financial constraints as politics remains a male-dominated and financially demanding space, making it difficult for women, especially those from ordinary backgrounds, to compete. Under political tokenism, women are often reduced to symbolic roles, with real decision-making power remaining in the hands of male leaders acting as their proxies.
Political Apathy and Complicity
Despite the glaring evidence, political parties remain largely indifferent to the plight of women in politics. When female leaders face violence, they are often left to fend for themselves. The lack of unequivocal condemnation from political parties emboldens perpetrators and signals that women’s safety is not a priority.
Moreover, the uncomfortable issue of sexual exploitation within party ranks remains largely unaddressed. Many young women in politics have spoken about the toxic culture of senior leaders grooming female party workers, yet these allegations are often brushed under the rug.
Political parties must confront this issue head-on and establish internal grievance mechanisms to protect women in their ranks.
What Needs to Change?
The time for silence is over. Political parties, civil society, and tech companies must take decisive action to address gendered violence in politics. Here’s how:
- Strengthening Laws and Accountability
- India must introduce strong legal frameworks, similar to the UK’s Online Safety Act, to criminalize online harassment against women politicians.
- Clear and stringent disciplinary measures should be enforced against those who engage in political violence, ensuring real consequences for perpetrators.
- Political Reforms and Collective Action
- Political parties must set up effective redressal mechanisms to support women facing harassment.
- Women politicians, regardless of party affiliation, must unite to form a strong women’s caucus that fights for their collective safety and rights.
- Holding Big Tech Accountable
- Social media platforms like Meta and X (formerly Twitter) must implement robust real time reporting mechanisms for political figures facing abuse.
- AI-driven moderation must be strengthened, particularly in regional languages, to combat gendered abuse online.
- Changing the Political Culture
- Male politicians must step up as allies, speaking out against violence and discrimination within their own parties.
- Society must challenge the normalization of political violence against women, pushing for a cultural shift that values inclusivity and equal representation.
A Democracy Without Fear
Violence against women in politics is not just a gendered issue, it is a democratic crisis. If half the population is deterred from participating in governance due to fear, democracy itself is weakened. The choice before us is clear: either we act now to create a political landscape where women can lead without fear, or we allow democracy to erode under the weight of exclusion and injustice. The time for action is not tomorrow, not next election season, but today.
Women in politics are not asking for protection; they are demanding what is rightfully theirs—a political space free from violence and intimidation. Will we stand with them, or will we continue to watch from the sidelines?
(Author is a public policy professional with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. She holds a master’s degree in International Politics from SOAS, University of London, and works at the intersection of gender, politics, and social justice in South Asia. The views expressed here are her own.)
