This brief presents new data from
ACLED on political violence targeting
women. It shows that violence can
affect women in all walks of life – from
politicians, voters, and activists, to
broader categories of women facing
everyday threats – but that there is great
variance in the types of political violence
and who the primary perpetrators of
this violence are, especially regionally.
Although we at times assume violence targeting women is primarily sexual in character, non-sexual attacks are actually the most commonly reported. The trends identified underscore the importance of the core foundation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS): the use of political violence targeting women is strategic, as women are political actors.
