Gender Inequality on the Campaign Trail: How Sexism Shapes Candidates’ Political Campaign Experiences

We know that women and men experience political violence differently. During the electoral campaign, a period of intense political activity and social interaction between politicians, journalists and citizens, female and male candidates are likely to be subject to diverse forms of political violence, among which sexism. Departing from the literature, this paper details the multiple potential manifestations of sexist attacks towards candidates in campaign times distinguishing between hostile and benevolent forms of sexism. Based on 23 in-depth interviews with male and female candidates for general elections of June 2024 in Belgium in the run-up to the campaign or right after Election Day, the paper qualitatively uncovers how sexism impacts how candidates experience the conduct of their campaign. Preliminary results show that female and male candidates face different realities during the campaign. While hostile manifestations of sexism are the most visible and involve tangible consequences, benevolent sexism manifestations might be equally detrimental for female candidates entailing an uneven playing field for men and women when running for office.