The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has long served as a leader in supporting women around the world to overcome barriers to their political participation. Far too often, violence against women in politics (VAW-P), in all its manifestations, creates a ‘chilling effect’ that drives politically-active women offline and in some cases out of the political realm entirely.
In response to this growing challenge, NDI undertook this unique study to explore the effect of gender- based violence as expressed toward college-age, politically-active women on Twitter in three countries – Indonesia, Colombia, and Kenya. This first-of-its-kind study should serve as a tribute to women activists everywhere who are struggling to express their political views online.