Introduction to Political Gender Violence (VPG)
The concept of “violencia política de género” (VPG) emerged in 2000, following a denunciation by Bolivian councilwomen against harassment and violence from political actors attempting to force them to resign from their positions. In Mexico, it was recognized nearly a decade ago within electoral normative to address the patriarchal practice of marginalizing women from political processes through intimidation, disqualification, or stigmatization due to their gender.
Evolution and Current Usage of VPG
In 2017, the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) published the first protocol to address this phenomenon in the electoral context. In 2020, Congress approved its criminalization and sanctioning. Since then, this offense has been included in federal and local legislation to ensure non-discrimination, parity, and equality in electoral processes and political life overall.
According to the protocol (adopted by the National Electoral Institute in its “Violence in Politics. Key Concepts” page), “political violence against women encompasses all actions or omissions by individuals, public servants, directed at a woman because of her gender, having a differential impact on them or disproportionately affecting them with the objective or result of undermining or nullifying their political-electoral rights, including the exercise of office.” The protocol further specifies various forms of violence, such as physical, psychological, symbolic, sexual, patrimonial, economic, or feminicidal.
Initially, the definition focused on state agents or political parties and included media. However, it has since expanded to encompass citizens.
Misuse and Concerns Regarding VPG
In a traditionally machista country like Mexico, both men and women may engage in gender stereotypes, abuse power imbalances against women due to their gender, or resort to violence to harm them. However, not every accusation or act of violence against a candidate or official is directly related to their gender, nor are all denunciations baseless.
Recent accusations of VPG against a journalist and a citizen, or the perceived protection of a governor from criticism in the media, cannot be justified by invoking this figure. It is concerning that officials or candidates resort to the judiciary to defend themselves against perceived “aggressions,” and even more alarming that judges and tribunals endorse these claims when they should differentiate between suffering abuse in an unequal relationship and misusing (symbolic, political, or personal) power.
Language evolves like reality. VPG now includes digital violence. However, broadening its application to protect power from criticisms or denunciations—even crude ones—or to prevent the dissemination of information beneficial to citizens, manipulates the meaning of these concepts and weakens their force.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is Political Gender Violence (VPG)? A: VPG refers to actions or omissions targeting women due to their gender, impacting them disproportionately and aiming to undermine or nullify their political-electoral rights.
- Q: How has VPG evolved? A: Originally focusing on state agents and political parties, VPG has expanded to include citizens and now encompasses digital violence.
- Q: Is VPG being misused? A: Yes, there are concerns that VPG is being used to silence criticisms or denunciations, even when they lack a direct connection to gender or power imbalances.
- Q: What are the implications of misusing VPG? A: Misuse of VPG can lead to censorship from those in power, threatening freedom of expression, accountability, and transparency in politics.
Contextualizing VPG in Mexico
In a (still imperfect) democracy, censorship and the humiliation of critical voices are dangerous and intolerable. The misuse of VPG to silence critics or protect those in power weakens the very principles it was designed to uphold.
