DOI: 10.1177/10778012261504807 ISSN: 1077-8012

Anonymous Faces: Symbolic Gender-Based Political Violence on Instagram in Panama

Karen Abrego Montenegro, Carme Ferré-Pavia, Catalina Gayà Morlà

This article examines the representation of women in digital electoral campaigns to identify symbolic gender violence. The study analyses 2,593 Instagram posts from six Panamanian political parties in the 2019 and 2024 elections. It employs a content analysis comparing female representation in both periods. The results demonstrate a clear increase in the visibility of women, from 27.8% in 2019 to 39.5% in 2024. However, the underrepresentation of women in the digital narrative remains. The study emphasizes the value of analysing narratives and visual representations to mitigate the biases that perpetuate discourses of domination, showcasing the diversity of women in politics.

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