Among the many notorious recent cases of political violence against women, we are watching with disbelief the attempt on the life of the Vice President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, who was held a gun to her head by a Brazilian living in Buenos Aires on the 1st.

This makes one wonder how much for women the decision to pursue a career in politics requires determination and, to a certain extent, courage. According to the UN, women entering politics are the most affected by gender-based violence. According to the survey, 82% of women in political spaces have already been victims of psychological violence; 45% were threatened; 25% experienced physical violence in parliamentary space; and 20% experienced sexual harassment. In view of this situation, 40% of them say that their legislative program was derailed due to these misogynistic and misogynistic actions.

Here in Brazil, the picture is as ugly as it is in the rest of the world. A survey conducted by the Instituto Política de Saia in partnership with the Justiceiras project shows that 51% of women involved in politics have already been victims of prejudice or discrimination. Among the most frequently reported types of violence are moral insults, insulting insults, exclusion from public space, threats, sexual assaults, fake newsphysical aggression and social media intrusion.

Cases of disrespect and aggression in the political environment have become so commonplace that they even affect women who, although they do not hold public office, are somehow connected with the environment by virtue of their profession. This is the case of journalist Vera Magalhães, who was attacked by MP Douglas Garcia while participating in the debate between the candidates for the government of Sao Paulo, held by the TV channel “Culture”.

Given the statistics, it’s clear that political gender-based violence is a reality, YES, and when they feel cornered by this type of action, many women simply stop acting in the middle.

This cannot be, especially now, when we are going through such a decisive moment for Brazilian democracy! We cannot sit back and watch women be insulted, humiliated and threatened because they want to hold public office.

News of attacks and threats against female and male candidates should never be taken lightly, as the trivialization of political violence fuels barbarism. Politics starts with our actions. When we see so many open examples of disrespect, we understand that there is still a lot of work ahead to change the reality of violence, especially gender-based, in the country.

Hate speech and gender-based violence must be condemned. This requires the participation of all. We need not only to defend our position, but also to promote this discussion, believe in the victims, hold the perpetrators to account and find ways to improve public policy towards women.

And one way to do that is to get more women into politics. Women can no longer tolerate harassment, machismo and misogyny. Politics is a tool for dialogue, a space for respect and value. The more we value diversity in this environment, the more we will contribute to the change of our society.

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