Gender in Elections: The Consequences of Killing Women Activists on Election Outcomes

Violence against human rights defenders and social activists are global phenomena and are on the rise in autocratic and conflict-affected states. Violence especially against women activists underscores the intersection of gender-based discrimination and activism-related risks. We argue that violence against women activists is used strategically by violent actors to influence electoral outcomes and reinforce gendered norms of order. This study adds important nuance to the discussion on gender and activism by exploring how the identities of victims of violence influence electoral outcomes. Drawing on novel fine-grained data on violence against activists, we show that the killings of women activists reduce women’s willingness to run for public office, increase voter turnout, and lower votes for women in Colombian mayoral elections. Additional analyses indicate how women’s visibility during the peace negotiations and former territorial control by the left-wing FARC rebels reversed this effect.