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Notwithstanding its prevalence, violence against women in politics – including gender-based violence (GBV) in electoral processes – has remained in the margins of study often due to lack of reporting and available data as well as the stigma many societies attach to it. This also amounts to a lack of understanding of the issue in contexts where people talk less openly about it.
Definitions of electoral violence rarely focus on women’s unique experiences of violence, which can include psychological abuse, harassment or intimidation, mainly because these types of violence oftentimes occur in the private or domestic sphere. Such violence is particularly damaging because it specifically targets women to silence their voices and ultimately tries to hinder them from exercising their political rights. Today, there is growing recognition of the need to work preventatively to address such issues, including violence happening both offline and in the online world. This is becoming particularly critical with growing online harassment worldwide, which often includes threats and other degrading and abusive behaviours in electoral processes against women voters, candidates, activists, elected representatives and electoral management officials. Already in 2015, a report released by the UN Broadband Commission found that 73 percent of women online have been exposed to or experienced some type of cyberviolence, calling it a “problem of pandemic proportions.” This number is likely to continue increasing.
The underreporting has also resulted in a lack of collected data to assess its prevalence or to document trends on a global scale. Datasets on national levels rarely incorporate, or even recognize, gender-specific forms of violence, which shows a lack of systematically collected data. This information gap further results from underreporting by victims when violence occurs. A so-called ‘culture of silence’ is the norm rather than exception in most cases. As pointed out by scholars and practitioners, this is caused by the culture of impunity associated with violence against women, resulting in women shying away from reporting different forms of violence due to a lack of accountability mechanisms.
In response to the challenges described in the introduction, this activity sets out how a sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) hotline can be created as a dedicated telephone service that provides confidential support, information and resources to individuals who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing gender-based violence. These hotlines are often operated by trained professionals or volunteers who offer crisis intervention, counseling, referrals to support services, and safety planning. They play a crucial role in providing immediate assistance and support to survivors of GBV, and, as such, they can:
| BOX: Definition of sexual and gender-based violence:
Ø Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is violence committed against a person because of his or her sex or gender. It is forcing another person to do something against his or her will through violence, coercion, threats, deception, cultural expectations or economic means. Although the majority of victims and survivors of SGBV are girls and women, SGBV can also harm boys and men. |
Needs and safety assessment:
Collaboration with stakeholders:
Confidentiality:
Toll-free number:
Training for hotline operators:
Public awareness campaigns:
Language accessibility:
Technology:
Monitoring and evaluation:
Investigation and collaboration:
Needs and safety assessment:
Below are key questions to ask in a needs and safety assessment:
Also read the programmatic option on the ‘Gender-responsive early warning system coupled with early response’.
Strengthening the capacity of female candidates and providing robust support if they encounter harassment are critical for a number of reasons. First and foremost, promoting gender equality in political representation fosters diversity and ensures that the perspectives and interests of all segments of society are represented in decision-making processes. Secondly, empowering female candidates is key to enhance the democratic process and create a more inclusive political landscape.
Supporting women who face harassment sends a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable and helps to create safer and more supportive environments for women in politics. When female candidates feel safe and supported, they are more likely to participate actively, contribute their unique insights and inspire future generations of women leaders, ultimately enriching our societies and advancing progress towards gender equality.
A number of activities to support female candidates can be considered, including training and capacity-building programmes specifically tailored to female candidates, as well as developing guidelines and protocols for addressing harassment and other forms of gender-based discrimination.
Offering psychological support to female candidates through a hotline can, however, be a critical first step in offering immediate support and counselling during an electoral process when vulnerabilities may be extra exposed and women candidates might be particularly exposed to violence. Below you can find a guide with concrete steps for providing support to female candidates by hotline phone operators and/or third parties involved in the follow-up, such as counsellors and/or counsellors specifically involved in a dedicated psychosocial support programme:
Establishing trust:
Trauma-informed approach:
Legal and reporting options:
Advocacy and support networks:
Follow-up and continued support:
A women’s ministry, a Human Rights Commission or a civil society organization is usually best placed to set up the hotline. However, it can be helpful to create partnerships with actors who might already have done work on gender-based violence (GBV) in the area, such as UNFPA, UNICEF or civil society actors. It is critical to partner with a telecommunication company to set up the infrastructure and ensure that the call-in number is toll free. Electoral Management Bodies or other actors involved in electoral assistance and who might intend to support the set-up of a hotline during an electoral process may want to consider such partnerships.
Establishing hotlines to report on SGBV during electoral processes can help ensure a safe and secure electoral process by providing a confidential and accessible avenue for individuals to report incidents of violence, harassment or intimidation based on gender, thereby fostering an environment where survivors and witnesses feel empowered to come forward. When linked to effective response, they send a clear message that such behaviours will not be tolerated, reinforcing the commitment to democratic principles and the right of every individual to participate in the electoral process without fear of violence or discrimination. Hotlines should be confidential and available to support women who need advice. Callers are likely to be vulnerable and emotional, and call handlers should have the necessary training to deal with GBV.
When a phone call to the hotline triggers follow-up, such hotlines can help play a crucial role in building community resilience against GBV during elections. They serve as a deterrent to potential perpetrators by increasing the likelihood of accountability and legal consequences. Information gathered through the hotlines can inform targeted interventions, enabling electoral authorities and relevant stakeholders to implement preventive measures and educational initiatives.
Importantly, an SGBV hotline established during an electoral process can expand a population’s access to GBV response services and information. This may be a geographic expansion, reaching a location where onsite GBV services are limited or nonexistent; or it may complement existing programming in an area where physical, security, health or other obstacles impede some populations from seeking services onsite.
A hotline can only be a viable method of intervention when adequate access to the hotline mechanism (phone or Internet) exists within the target population, and when the population is willing and able to use that mechanism without compromising their safety.
It is therefore essential to analyze whether sufficient access to phones and/or Internet exists within the target community to make hotline service a realistic option. This question pertains not only to the level of telecommunications coverage in an area but also to the accessibility, affordability and comfort level with phones/Internet usage among potential users. In situations of political crisis, the overall security conditions should also be considered in terms of whether staff and survivors feel safe in using mobile phone networks.
Hotline in Pakistan
UNFPA Pakistan initiated a psychosocial support (PSS) and GBV referral initiative in collaboration with government departments and civil society partner Rozan to ensure that women and girls confined to their homes during COVID-19 could reach quality services as GBV risks rose. The initiative created community and stakeholder awareness regarding how to reach help for GBV through tele-PSS and GBV referrals. As part of a wider capacity-building effort, four federal and provincial government-led helplines were provided with human resource and technical support to provide survivor-centric PSS and GBV services.
Philippine Commission of Women
The VAWC hotline, established by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) specifically addresses violence against women and their children (VAWC). It provides a platform for reporting incidents of GVB and harassment and offers support, information and referrals to appropriate services. The hotline aims to ensure the safety of women.
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