How does violence against women in politics violate basic human rights? Ballington (2018) explains that such violence constitutes a human rights violation specifically because it stops women from exercising and realizing their political rights.
Drawing on a definition from UN Women and UNDP (2017), Ballington notes that violence directed at women in political and public life covers any gender-based act or threat resulting in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering. This harm keeps women from practicing their political rights across public and private spaces, which includes their ability to vote, run for and hold public office, vote in secret, campaign freely, assemble and associate with others, and exercise their freedom of opinion and expression.
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Ballington, J. (2018). Turning the Tide on Violence against Women in Politics: How Are We Measuring Up? Politics & Gender, 14(4), 695–701. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X18000636