Bolivia will be holding a general election in December under a new constitution which requires that half of all candidates for political office are female. For women that make it into politics, especially at the municipal level, there is a constant threat of violence which causes many to either leave office or not run at all.

Several organizations, including the Bolivian Association of Women Town Councilors (ACOBOL) have pressured Congress to pass a bill to protect female officials, but so far the government has not responded.

When IPS asked María Eugenia Rojas of ACOBOL to recount cases of gender-based discrimination toward elected officials she considered many. “Which is worse? The case of the councilwoman who was attacked and suffered a miscarriage? Or the one that was beaten within an inch of her life? Or the municipal official who was raped?” she said.

Of those accused of beating or humiliating elected female officials, none have been prosecuted. From 2000 to 2005 ACOBOL recorded two hundred complaints which is unusually high for a country that currently only has 25 percent of its town council seats held by women.

“A law is not sufficient in and of itself, but it will be a key step in the right direction and a major achievement because it will be taken as a reference point for further action, especially as it sets specific penalties and identifies certain behaviors as punishable offenses,” elected official Patricia Flores told IPS.

Bolivia: Politics, a Risky Business for Women - IPS