23 December
Equality is the basic principle of a democratic society, and participating in elections and voting are the rights of all men and women.
The 2020 general elections will have women running for office. Of the 3,069 candidates in the 2010 general elections, 127 were women, and of the 6,038 candidates in the 2015 general elections, 800 were women.
As more women are expected to compete in the 2020 general elections, they should meet democratic norms.
With the 2020 polls drawing near, it is necessary to prevent disinformation and hate speech against women candidates and to promote equality in the elections.
Globally, even as more women are participating in politics, they are facing not only the usual scrutiny involved in assuming a public role, but also a greater degree of danger due to the ways they are targeted in terms of threats, intimidation, and personal attacks through social media. Women know that cyber violence can strike at any time, and there is little accountability for perpetrators.
Both men and women can be affected by violence in politics, but violence against women in politics is gender-based. It targets women because of their gender and acts of violence are gendered in form, such as sexist remarks, disinformation, hate speech, or sexual harassment and violence. Violence against women in politics is a violation of human rights, and by hindering women’s political participation, it is also a violation of women’s political rights.
It is critical that more investments go into tracking, understanding, and ultimately combating gendered disinformation campaigns and online violence against women in politics.
Only then women will truly be able to take advantage of the opportunities for political activism, outreach, and engagement that social media represents and exercise their political rights on equal terms.
Despite evidence that gender-balanced institutions are much stronger and women’s participation in governance increases the public’s trust in democracy and reduces corruption, hardly any of these solutions are being implemented on a broad scale.
The Union Election Commission of Myanmar is implementing the policy on gender equality and promoting the role of women (2019-2022).
To address internet freedom, disinformation, hate speech, incitement in elections, raising awareness and educating the people is a must as part of efforts to prevent disinformation and hate speech against women candidates.
GNLM
