An Unrepresentative Democracy: How Disinformation and Online Abuse Hinder Women of Color Political Candidates in the United States

As more women have sought political representation by running for elected office, we have seen demonstrated increases in online harassment and abuse, including targeted mis- and disinformation campaigns. Researchers argue that these attacks are attempts to limit women’s ability to participate in electoral politics and suppress their voices in a variety of settings. While women in general may be subject to significant mis- and disinformation and abuse online, an intersectional approach which recognizes that women of color have to contend with multiple sources of oppression at the same time and that this impact is unique, can better illuminate the additional challenges faced by women of color in general and women of color political candidates specifically. We identified two key research questions: (1) Are women of color political candidates more likely to be subject to mis- and disinformation and online abuse compared to other types of candidates? (2) What are the impacts of mis- and disinformation and online abuse of women of color political candidates? We focus on both mis- and disinformation and online abuse because they are part of the larger problem of violence against women in politics and both are often aimed at undermining the political efficacy of women in public spaces.