Political violence and women’s political participation in Kenya

For many emerging democracies, violence plays a major role in the political sphere as it becomes ingrained in the logic of what it means to be political. Political violence disrupts democratic processes and prevents marginalized groups, particularly women, from fully expressing their political agency. This study examines the relationship between political violence and women's political participation in Kenya. The study employs data from the eighth round of Afrobarometer, which surveyed 2,400 respondents. We analyzed the interaction effects between gender and experiences of political violence on protesting and voting behaviours. The findings reveal that women are significantly less likely to protest (11% decline) or vote (12% decline) following experiences of violence, whereas men exhibit opposite trends, with an 11% increase in protest participation and a 12% increase in voting. These gendered divergences highlight how political violence disproportionately hinders women's political engagement while reinforcing male dominance in the political sphere. The study concludes by exploring strategies women can adopt to navigate hostile political environments, including leveraging online platforms for mobilization and fostering community-based safe spaces. This study ultimately finds that political violence is associated with political participation, with several gendered ramifications.