What were the consequences of Jeanine Áñez´s presidency for violence against women in politics in Bolivia?

Abstract: This study investigates the consequences that female descriptive representation, at the highest executive political position, had on violence against women in politics. More specifically it looks at Jeanine Áñez ́s presidency and its impact on violence against women in Bolivia. The research question guiding the research is What were the consequences of Jeanine Áñez ́s presidency for violence against women in politics in Bolivia? The unexpected presidency of Jeanie Áñez in 2019, presented a perfect opportunity to investigate the relation between VAWIP and female chief executive representation, two research areas which remain understudied in comparison to other aspects of female descriptive representation. The research is designed as a single case study, using interviews to collect data. Five women were interviewed, using Pitkin ́s concept of political representation to analyze the results. The exact consequences and the extent of the consequences of Áñez ́s presidency remain unanswered and the research calls for further research. However, the study finds that Áñez does not appear to have minimized violence against women in any way, and was perceived as the enemy of women in politics rather than their ally. She appears to have both empowered women to participate in politics, and encouraged women to stay away from politics.