How Does Political Violence Target Women?

The document introduces ACLED data on political violence targeting women (PVTW), defining it as the use of physical force by groups with political motivations in the public sphere. The analysis reveals that while sexual violence is a significant threat, non-sexual attacks are the most commonly reported type of PVTW globally. The brief highlights regional variations in both the types of violence and the perpetrators, noting that anonymous armed groups are the most frequent offenders overall, while state forces, political militias, and mobs dominate in specific regions. The authors argue that understanding these patterns is essential for evidence-based Women, Peace and Security (WPS) policies and for achieving 'security equality' by recognizing women as active political agents rather than mere victims.

• Non-sexual attacks are the most frequently reported form of political violence targeting women (PVTW) globally, contrary to common assumptions that such violence is primarily sexual. This type of violence accounts for more than two-thirds of PVTW in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and Southeastern and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
• Sexual violence represents a substantial proportion of PVTW in specific regions, comprising more than one-third of reported cases in both Southeast Asia and Africa.
• Anonymous or unidentified armed groups are the most common perpetrators of PVTW, accounting for over one-third of all reported cases. This anonymity may be a strategic choice by perpetrators to avoid responsibility or a result of reporting limitations.
• Perpetrator types vary significantly by region: state forces (military or police) are the primary perpetrators in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Caucasus and Central Asia; political militias are highly active in Africa; and mobs are the primary perpetrators in South Asia.
• Mob violence and abductions/forced disappearances are often under-analyzed in Women, Peace and Security (WPS) settings. Mob violence is particularly prevalent in South Asia and Africa, while abductions and forced disappearances are most commonly reported in Africa.
• Political violence targeting women is a strategic tool used to hinder women's political participation, and it occurs both within war-time contexts and in non-war environments where political processes are contested.

APA

Kishi, R., & Olsson, L. (2019). How Does Political Violence Target Women? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/08fd6c57-da25-46ad-90c1-69cfed5e1061/Kishi Roudabeh and Louise Olsson - How Does Political Violence Target Women GPS Policy Brief 2-2019.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Kishi, Roudabeh, and Louise Olsson. How Does Political Violence Target Women? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2019. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/08fd6c57-da25-46ad-90c1-69cfed5e1061/Kishi Roudabeh and Louise Olsson - How Does Political Violence Target Women GPS Policy Brief 2-2019.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kishi |first1=Roudabeh |last2=Olsson |first2=Louise |title=How Does Political Violence Target Women? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=February 2019 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/08fd6c57-da25-46ad-90c1-69cfed5e1061/Kishi Roudabeh and Louise Olsson - How Does Political Violence Target Women GPS Policy Brief 2-2019.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kishi2019how, author = {Kishi, Roudabeh and Olsson, Louise}, title = {{How Does Political Violence Target Women?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/08fd6c57-da25-46ad-90c1-69cfed5e1061/Kishi Roudabeh and Louise Olsson - How Does Political Violence Target Women GPS Policy Brief 2-2019.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }