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Attacking Women or their Policies? Understanding Violence against Women in Politics

·431 字·1 分钟
Polihot 比较政治 政治行为 Women in Politics Political Violence Gender Discrimination Italy Mayors
JOP — 2026-08-03 Original Attacking Women or their Policies? Understanding Violence against Women in Politics Gianmarco Daniele, Gemma Dipoppa, Massimo Pulejo Abstract We present the first causal evidence that female politicians are more likely to face political violence. Using fourteen years of data on attacks against Italian politicians, we show that marginally elected female mayors—similar to men and elected in comparable towns—are three times as likely to be attacked. We find no gender differences in policy platforms, policymaking, performance, or corruption. Instead, violence emerges independently on women's choices, consistently with discrimination - rather than political influence - driving the gap in violence. Female mayors are less likely to seek re-election after attacks, highlighting violence’s role in perpetuating the gender gap.

Context, Mechanism, and Outcome: Explaining Gendered Administrative Burdens on Abortion Access in Italy

·683 字·2 分钟
Polihot 公共行政 公共政策 Administrative Burden Abortion Access Gender Inequality Italy Realist Evaluation
PAR — 2026-05-26 Original Context, Mechanism, and Outcome: Explaining Gendered Administrative Burdens on Abortion Access in Italy Debra Lanfranconi, Markus Hinterleitner Abstract ABSTRACT Abortion access in Italy provides a case to examine how gendered administrative burdens emerge through the interplay of legal provisions, informal frontline practices, and contextual influences. Drawing on the Context–Mechanism–Outcome framework from realist evaluation, the analysis shows how legal access to abortion is constrained by procedural requirements, widespread conscientious objection among healthcare providers, and the institutional presence of anti‐abortion actors. Using qualitative data from Obiezione Respinta— a user‐generated platform mapping abortion access barriers across Italy—we demonstrate how everyday bureaucratic processes (re)produce gender inequalities. Three contributions follow. First, the analysis extends the gendered administrative burden literature by highlighting how informal policy design and contextual factors contribute to gender inequality. Second, it introduces the C‐M‐O framework to administrative burden research as a structured yet parsimonious approach to studying how burdens emerge. Third, it centers on women's experiences to offer a qualitative account of how burdens are perceived and navigated.