Tackling gender-based violence against politically active women and LGBTIQ people

Expected Outcome

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• EU and national policymakers and relevant stakeholders get an enhanced understanding of the drivers of violence against women and LGBTIQ people who are politically active or political aspirants.
• Enhanced prevention and early intervention through better understanding of the drivers and impacts of violence (short- and long-term) on women and LGBTIQ people engaged, or aspiring to engage, in online and offline political activities and how their participation evolves after experiencing violence and harassment.
• Uptake of evidence-based policy recommendations by policymakers and relevant stakeholders on tackling gender-based violence alongside violence against politically active women and LGBTIQ people, promoting equal political participation and addressing harmful narratives.
• Broader adherence to media guidelines on responsible, ethical, and safe portrayals of and reporting on gender-based violence in a political context, embedding gender-sensitive and intersectional reporting and incorporating successful practices with demonstrable, positive outcomes.
• Promotion of an inclusive environment that encourages political participation of women, and LGBTIQ people, notably from underrepresented groups, through collaboration across key public, political and civil society actors.

Scope

The increased participation and visibility of women and LGBTIQ people in public life[1] coincides with a rise in two severe forms of violence: politically motivated violence targeting public figures and gender-based violence (GBV).[2] When these two forms of violence intersect, they obstruct progress toward equality, reinforce traditional gender norms and stereotypes, power imbalances, and pose significant threats to democratic societies.

The EU Directive on combating violence against women acknowledges the impact of violence on women active in public life, particularly its silencing effect. The European Commission’s 2024-2029 political guidelines place the fight against GBV at the heart of the post-2025 Equality Strategy, notably to empower women in politics[3]. The Roadmap for Women’s Rights[4] recalls that women “face higher risks of threats and violence limiting their participation in public life”, while the Equality Commissioner’s Mission Letter identifies hate-motivated harassment and (online) violence as a key focus for the EU LGBTIQ equality strategy for 2026-2030. The mission letter to the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law emphasises strengthening the protection of political candidates and elected representatives facing growing threats and undue pressure.

This violence occurs in various forms, including sexual and physical threats and assaults, harassment, character assassinations, hate speech, disinformation campaigns exploiting misogynistic or anti-LGBTIQ narratives and deceptive image manipulation. With technological advancements, the methods of violence and harassment have moved online and become increasingly sophisticated and viral, exemplified by phenomena like cyber pile-on harassment and deepfakes. Their consequences, however, extend to the physical world, causing physical and psychological harm, as well as impacting professional and personal reputations, quality of life, and family. Proposals should, therefore, explore the wide range of impacts, including the chilling effect on victims, such as their withdrawal from social media public debates or public offices, including political ones. As situations of social, economic or political instability can exacerbate GBV and LGBTIQ-phobic violence, proposals are encouraged to explore how crises affect the nature, prevalence, and prevention of these types of violence, as well as victims’ access to support and justice.

Both political and media spheres, including radio, television, print, and online platforms, play a key role in shaping societal norms. Yet, coverage of GBV and cases of LGBTIQ-phobic violence are often sensationalised and biased, particularly when it involves public figures. For instance, little is known on how fictional and non-fictional narratives influence public awareness and perceptions of violence against politically active women and LGBTIQ people. Such gaps can lead to inadequate responses and support systems, while reinforcing gender stereotypes and contributing to victim blaming. Proposals should gather data on this impact and counteract sensationalism and misogyny to position media as driver of positive change. Proposals should also include analysis of the impact and potential gaps of existing EU legislation such as the Digital Services Act, and provide recommendations to policymakers.

Proposals are encouraged to explore cultural beliefs and practices, considering fields such as cinema and literature alongside social media platforms to explore how cultural representations and national context influence perceptions and responses to intersecting violence.

In addition, given that politically motivated violence, GBV and LGBTIQ-phobic violence intersect with various forms of discrimination, including racism[5], proposals must consider at least three intersecting factors, such as disability, racial or ethnic background, age, religion or belief or other relevant intersecting dimensions. An intersectional lens is key to understand how the perpetration and experience of violence, including to report and access support, vary according to social, economic and identity-related characteristics of victims and perpetrators.

A multi-country approach using quantitative and qualitative data is key. Proposals should draw on a range of relevant disciplines (including SSH), and engage stakeholders, civil society organisations and individuals directly affected by the issues in the design and implementation of research activities. Engaging men and boys in preventing violence and challenging norms should be an integral part of the research. This could include exploring how arts and humanities approaches can foster critical reflection on gender norms, violence and discrimination.

Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

[1] Entails, but not limited to, public representatives, journalists, investigative reporters, human rights defenders, activists, civil society actors, political figures, and anonymous individuals engaging in the public sphere.

[2] In this topic, political activities and being “politically active” should be understood as going beyond formal institutional structures to include a wide range of public engagement activities, such as activism, community organising, and civic participation. Moreover, the topic calls for research that goes beyond those already active in public life, by examining how violence and harassment affect the aspirations, motivations, and trajectories of girls, women, and LGBTIQ people who seek to engage in public and political spheres.

[3] Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029, https://europa.eu/!wywg4P, page 20.

[4] COM(2025)97 - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A Roadmap for Women’s Rights. Principle 7 of the Roadmap’s annex reaffirms every woman’s right to active and safe participation in public life and outlines key objectives to protect and promote this right.

[5] Racist and anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric especially is on the rise: https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2024/lgbtiq-crossroads-progress-and-challenges; https://fra.europa.eu/en/news/2023/black-people-eu-face-ever-more-racism; https://www.ilga-europe.org/report/annual-review-2023/