In the campaigns prior to the elections of 2019, 52% of the female candidates were subject to an act of violence and only 15% of these reported the phenomenon, representatives of the Gender Equality Platform said in a news conference at IPN held as part of the campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
According to Olga Bîtcă, who heads the Gender Equality Platform, the discrimination against women in elections remains a systemic, party-related and institutionalized issue, especially when it goes to independent female candidates.
In the campaign that preceded the local elections of 2019, there were reported serious cases of public sexual harassment of women running in elections at the local level. The discriminatory and harassing, stigmatizing speech intensified with the coming of elections, especially before the runoffs. Such speech was usually used against minorities, vulnerable and invisible groups that are not accepted by society. Sexist language and intimidations were also aimed against female representatives of the media, such as female moderators and journalists.
Olga Bîtcă noted the electoral debates also witnessed departures. The gender dimension was mainly absent from the addressed issues. The deviations and discriminatory and hate speech weren’t sufficiently penalized. The media outlets, primarily the electronic ones, didn’t moderate the indecent comments aimed at female candidates. Female forms in relation to female candidates continue not to be used in the public sphere.
According to Olga Bîtcă, it is regrettable that the political struggle led to the removal of a Government led by a female Premier and of a Cabinet with almost 60% of female members immediately after the local elections. A Cabinet with only one female minister was later formed. The second female member of the current Cabinet is the Bashkan of ATU Gagauzia, who is an ex-officio member. “This is regrettable regression and involution,” stated Olga Bâtcă.
Irina Korobchenko, educational programs manager at Promo-LEX Association, said the incidence of hate speech in elections increased from approximately two cases a day in 2018 to almost twice more in 2019. Hate speech is used by both women and men, but men use it most often, in 88% of the cases. Hate speech is principally based on such criteria as sexual orientation and gender.
Nina Lozinski, secretary general of the Gender Equality Platform, recommended that the Central Election Commission should introduce the phenomenon of violence in elections in its training and monitoring programs. Also, the election contenders should be made to obey a Code of Conduct.
The data were collected by investigating 409 women involved in elections.
