Less than two months before the legislative elections of the March 8, 2026the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) he asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) strengthen the prevention and punishment of violence against women in politicsa phenomenon that, according to the organization, usually intensifies during the campaign. The call comes with some background information: female participation in congressional candidacies remains, in general terms, at the same level as 2022.
Candidacies: 40% is still the ceiling
The MOE puts the first focus on the numbers. For Congress 2026the proportion of registered candidates remains at 60% men and 40% womenwithout a clear jump compared to the previous cycle. The reading is direct: the rules of participation have served to open the door, but not necessarily to push for a sustained change in real representation.
When looking around the corporation, the contrast becomes more visible. In the House of Representativesthe MOE reports a drop in candidates from the 4%when passing from 771 a 742. And in the Senate Another key piece of information appears due to its symbolic weight: 16 heads of listonly six They are women. It is not a minor detail, because the head usually concentrates visibility, resources and the first wave of opinion.
The rule that debuts in 2026: minimum one woman where fewer than five seats are elected
In this cycle, an adjustment comes into play that seeks to close gaps in various territories. With the Law 2424 of 2024the lists in which they are chosen less than five seats must include at least one woman. The EOM recalls that, in past elections, 19 of the 32 departments They were not required to meet the gender quota in certain scenarios, which ended up widening the gap depending on the size of the constituency.
The bottom line is simple: meeting a quota does not guarantee competitiveness. If inclusion remains on paper, the risk is that there will be candidates with less muscle, less internal support and more exposure to attacks.
Political gender violence: when the campaign becomes an expulsion filter
The second block of the statement points to what is usually seen in campaigns, but is not always measured well: attacks aimed at removing women from the debate. The MOE warns about recurrent forms of aggression: accusations about personal life, comments about physical appearance, sexualization of image and digital harassment.
This type of violence does not only hit a specific candidate. It also changes the incentive to participate: it raises the costs of campaigning, stops new aspirations and impoverishes the public conversation, because it displaces proposals with attacks.
What happens to the CNE with Law 2453 of 2025
The EOM’s call is supported by the recent legal framework. From April 2025the Law 2453 of 2025which defines and regulates measures to prevent, attend, monitor and punish violence against women in politics, including expressions psychological, symbolic, digital and sexual.
On that board, the CNE He is not a spectator. The standard assigns tasks of inspection and surveillanceminimum guidelines for parties and campaigns, prevention measures and, when applicable, sanctions. To put it bluntly: 2026 is a test of execution, not speech.
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