Cursing the Darkness or Bringing in the Light?

We are living in strange, troubled times. Times when politics — once the sacred space of vision, governance, and public service — has become a battlefield of violent words, vicious images, and vile acts. The news cycle is a litany of murders, shootings, political assassinations, and brutal online attacks. From Mexico to Kenya, from Philippines to South Africa, women in politics are being harassed, threatened, and killed — simply for daring to lead.

This is not the communication we want for future generations.

This is not the politics we want to inherit — or hand over.

Political violence is no longer confined to coups and civil wars. It now lurks in Facebook comments, slithers through WhatsApp forwards, and hides behind anonymous Twitter handles. What’s even more disturbing is how gendered this violence has become. According to a 2021 UN Women report, 82% of women parliamentarians worldwide have faced psychological violence, and 44% have received threats of death, rape, or beating. These statistics are not numbers; they are screams in the dark.

In Kenya, the 2022 general elections saw a chilling rise in digital disinformation campaigns, sexual harassment, and even physical attacks on women aspirants. Across Africa, brave women — from grassroots mobilizers to national leaders — are routinely silenced by online abuse, social stigma, and institutional intimidation. It is not politics that is failing — it is the political culture that is rotting.

When Women are Pushed Out, Democracy Dies a Little

When women are targeted, democracy bleeds.

When a young woman in Turkana is told, “Politics si ya wanawake,”

When a grassroots organizer in Kisumu is beaten by hired goons,

When a parliamentarian in Nairobi receives rape threats for tabling a bill —

That is not just an attack on a person. It is an attack on the soul of democracy.

When women leaders are forced to self-censor, step back, or quit politics altogether, society loses out on compassionate governance, community-based solutions, and inclusive leadership. A 2017 McKinsey Global Institute report found that gender equality in leadership could add $12 trillion to the global economy by 2025 — yet we continue to silence half the sky with our silence.

So what does better politics look like?

Better politics is not just about changing policies — it’s about changing the atmosphere. It’s about bringing in the light through culture, law, and grassroots power. The following actions can help:

Legislative Protection: Pass and enforce laws against political violence, with specific clauses on gender-based political violence, as seen in countries like Bolivia and Tunisia.

Digital Accountability: Work with tech companies to track, report, and remove gendered hate speech on social media. Civil society and governments must co-create safe online spaces.

Mental Health and Trauma Support: Establish well-being funds and counseling programs for women in politics who have experienced threats or violence.

Visibility Campaigns: Run mass media campaigns that showcase positive images of women leaders — not as victims, but as warriors, peacemakers, and builders.

Youth Civic Education: Integrate nonviolent communication, human rights, and gender-sensitive leadership into school curricula to shape the next generation.

Men as Allies: Engage male politicians, elders, and community leaders to speak up — not as saviors, but as co-builders of a safe political space.

Thinking Bigger: From Survival to Thriving

The ultimate shift we need is from survival to thriving. Not just protecting women from violence, but enabling them to lead boldly. Not just whispering hope in closed-door meetings, but amplifying hope in public squares. Imagine an Africa where girls see political posters and dream, not fear. Where political debates are fierce but respectful. Where difference is debated, not destroyed.

The Call to Light

There is a Jewish proverb that says: “A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness.”

And African wisdom reminds us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Now is the time for us — civil society, governments, media, and communities — to decide:

Will we keep cursing the darkness,

Or will we start bringing in the light?

Because better politics isn’t a dream — it’s a discipline. A decision. A duty.

And if we don’t fight for it, we leave the future in the hands of the violent.

References:

UN Women (2021). Violence against women in politics: Expert Group Meeting report

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (2016). Sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians

McKinsey Global Institute (2017). The Power of Parity: Advancing Women's Equality in Africa

African Union & FEMNET (2022). The Status of Women in African Politics: Challenges & Recommendation