La violencia de género en el acceso y permanencia de mujeres en cargos políticos en Ecuador

Abstract

This research work, titled "“LA VIOLENCIA DE GÉNERO EN EL ACCESO Y PERMANENCIA DE MUJERES EN CARGOS POLÍTICOS EN ECUADOR”," has the general objective of evaluating the impact of gender-based violence on the access and permanence of women in political positions in Ecuador. This study is framed in a context where structural inequalities persist despite normative advances toward gender equality. The research is justified by the need to shed light on how various forms of political, psychological, symbolic, and verbal violence limit women's access to positions of power, as well as their permanence and full leadership within those spaces.A qualitative methodology with a legal-social approach was employed, using historical-legal, analytical-synthetic, hermeneutic, narrative, correlational, bibliographic, and field methods. This included normative and documentary analysis, along with interviews conducted with women leaders, who identified patterns of normalized violence and a deficient institutional framework.The findings reveal that, although the legal framework recognizes political gender-based violence, its implementation remains ineffective. Protection measures lack promptness, follow-up, and a gender-sensitive approach. This is further exacerbated by conflicts of interest, legal loopholes in the Código de la Democracia (Democracy Code), and a lack of institutional autonomy. As a result, many women are faced with the dilemma of resisting or stepping down.The study concludes that, while legal progress has been made in terms of formal representation, structural barriers in society continue to hinder full and equitable participation. Gender-based violence remains a strategy of exclusion that violates rights, undermines leadership, and obstructs the consolidation of an inclusive democracy in Ecuador.