🚨First publication alert🚨. Happy to see my MA thesis published in @PolLowCountries as part of their special issue on Women and Politics in the Low Countries. Link to the article and full results: 🧵A (not so) small thread (1/11):

RT @Gaspar_UGent: ➡️Save the date!⬅️. Interested in political violence, party dynamics and democratic norms? 👀 On 11 June, research group G….

📢 1 Week Left! Call for Abstracts📢. Deadline for #PolEtmaal2025 is fast approaching!. Are you working on gender, representation, or democratic processes? Join us in Groningen for the upcoming @PolEtmaal, work-in-progress welcome!. Submit your abstract through the link below 👇

Very happy that we were able to contribute to the Gendering Democracy Series for International Women's Day by showcasing part of our study on online and offline sexism during the 2024 elections. Results on the consequences and a call for action 👇.

🚨 Reminder! 🚨. With International Women’s Day approaching, there’s no better time to submit your abstract for the Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps workshop at the PolEtmaal 2025!✨. 📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025. #PolEtmaal2025.

RT @ECPR_TheLoop: ♀️International Women's Day takeover on @ECPR_TheLoop starts today!.👀Look out for blogs from @EliePhd @corinna_kroeber….

Organized together with the amazing VUB-colleagues: @merelfieremans, @AnneVanBavel and @MThewis.

📢 Call for Papers 📢 . Working on gender, representation and democratic processes? . Join us in Groningen for the next @PolEtmaal and the second “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps” workshop! . 📅Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025. 👉

Or check out testimonials in the press, like this week's piece in Knack:

Want to learn more? Read the full research report "Kandidate ≠ Kandidaat" (available in French and Dutch) or the policy brief (available in French, Dutch, and English):

This is just the beginning. Continuous monitoring of sexism is essential to understand its impact over time and in different contexts. Democracy can only grow stronger by guaranteeing inclusivity and equal opportunities.

✅Mentorship programs for new female candidates.✅Networking opportunities to prevent isolation.✅Informational sessions for candidates.✅Charters with concrete actions.✅Appointing contact persons for support.

Sexism in politics is a systemic problem, not an individual one. Political parties, media, and public institutions need to step up. Recommendations include:.

It’s not always explicit. Sometimes it manifests through subtle, systemic differences in how male and female candidates are treated. Recognizing and addressing these differences is essential for change.

Sexism leads to self-censorship and even early exits from politics, limiting careers and discouraging potential female candidates from running.

Sexism isn’t confined to social media. Offline, women experience fewer opportunities in media appearances and within internal party structures. Deeply entrenched gender roles and a lack of respect play a significant role.

Female candidates face not only more frequent negative comments but also explicitly sexist remarks such as criticism focused on physical appearance (31% of sexist remarks), insults (29%) and mansplaining (10%)

The study analyzed 43,937 responses to 2,922 posts by 40 political candidates. Three platforms were examined over a 4-week period: X, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition to the quantitative analysis, 25 interviews were conducted with politicians, journalists, and candidates.

📢 New publication 📢. Today, The Institute for the equality of women and men published the full research conducted by @Gaspar_UGent and @SciencePoULB on sexism toward political candidates in the run-up to the June 2024 elections. A small thread🧵

RT @Gaspar_UGent: 🏆Proud team!🏆Yesterday, our great colleague @EliseStorme won the Frieda Saeys award for excellent research on media and g….