Tackling Violence Against Women in Politics: The International Influence of the Pioneer Bolivian Legislation

espanolIntroduction. Violence against women in politics (VAWP) is a specific form of gender-based violence that is receiving growing attention from research, because it threatens the progress made in women’s political representation. However, there are few works on how to design legislation against VAWP. Objectives. This article contributes to filling this gap by analysing how the Bolivian legislation influenced norms of VAWP drafted and passed by other countries and international organisations in Latin America, the country where more efforts of this kind have taken place – the 243/2012 Bolivian Law on Political Violence and Harassment against Women was the first law on VAWP in the world –. Methodology. The research draws on qualitative content analysis of the legislation and semi-structured interviews with Bolivian women’s activists, officials and MPs. Results, conclusions and discussion. I argue that four specific features of the Bolivian legislation have had a major influence on other norms on VAWP: (i) a wide and detailed definition of VAWP; (ii) the attribution to the electoral organ of competences to prevent VAWP; (iii) the establishment of political parties’ responsibilities; (iv) the (incomplete) adoption of an intersectional perspective. EnglishIntroduccion. La violencia contra las mujeres en politica (VCMP) es una forma especifica de violencia de genero que esta recibiendo una creciente atencion por parte de la academia, ya que amenaza los progresos conseguidos en representacion politica de las mujeres. Sin embargo, existen pocas investigaciones sobre como disenar la legislacion contra la VCMP. Objetivos. Este articulo contribuye a colmar este vacio analizando como la legislacion boliviana ha influido en normas sobre VCMP elaboradas o aprobadas por otros paises y organizaciones internacionales en America Latina, el continente donde se han producido mas esfuerzos de este tipo – la Ley boliviana 243/2012 contra el Acoso y Violencia Politica hacia las Mujeres es la primera ley sobre VCMP en el mundo. Metodologia. La investigacion se basa en analisis cualitativo del contenido de legislacion y entrevistas semi-estructuradas con mujeres activistas, representantes del gobierno y diputadas bolivianas. Resultados, conclusiones y discusion. Argumento que cuatro caracteristicas especificas de la legislacion boliviana han tenido una influencia destacada en otras normas sobre VCMP: (i) una definicion amplia y detallada de violencia, (ii) la atribucion al organo electoral de competencias para prevenir la VCMP, (iii) el establecimiento de responsabilidades de los partidos politicos y (iv) la adopcion (incompleta) de una perspectiva interseccional.