Intersectionality, Women, and Violent Politics in the Americas

Abstract

Violence against women in politics (VAWIP) is increasingly recognized as a global problem that threatens women’s ability to enact citizenship. Yet, an intersectional lens is seldom applied to understand whether the concept of VAWIP captures the differential impacts and experiences of gendered diversity. This chapter assesses the conversation on VAWIP as a concept in two arenas. First, the global discussion on VAWIP is located, in part, in a series of four documents that are representative of the broad, multi-layered, and multi-sited conversation about VAWIP. Second, it focuses the attention on two high-profile female politicians, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a US Congresswoman, and Francia Márquez, Colombia’s current vice president. It analyzes a set of their Twitter posts over a three-month period to understand their framing of VAWIP and their responses to it as it manifests for them. The intersectional analysis of their posts helps to trace where and how an intersectional lens shows up in this space. It also delineates how elements of gendered citizenship are enacted across multiple dimensions, and what forms they take when they are inclusive of diverse women’s voices.

“I personally have experienced a lifetime of insults, racism and sexism.” (Quoted by PBS Newshour—https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-verbal-assault-against-women-not-new-and-that-is-the-problem-rep-ocasio-cortez-says)

US Rep. Barbara Lee.

“As women in politics—and women of color—we are all too familiar with the vitriol and threats of violence that come with claiming our rightful place in the world,” (Quoted here: https://tlaib.house.gov/media/press-releases/tlaib-leads-introduction-resolution-calling-government-action-mitigate-violence)

Rep. Ayanna Pressley.