Protecting Women During Elections In Malawi

This article is published by Democracy in Africa. Here is an excerpt:

Do male leaders, who so often profess a commitment to gender equality (for example here and here), believe in it?

A study by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) suggests sexism, harassment and violence against women are ubiquitous in parliaments across Africa. More importantly, the study shows the main instigators of all forms of violence affecting women in parliament are male parliamentary colleagues.

This is not only an issue inside parliament. Recent case law and NGO Reports suggest that women face various forms of violence instigated by males in the run up to a presidential election and after a presidential election. In this essay I draw on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory to demonstrate the impact that procedural failures, and a failure to act (omission), have on women’s rights.

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