“Where is Nancy?”: How threats against women in power are tied to threats against democracy

The attack on Paul Pelosi in his home by an assailant who reportedly was looking for the House speaker highlights the danger of the outrage and vitriol that often particularly targets women in positions of power. 

The man charged with breaking into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and assaulting her husband was reportedly yelling, “Where is Nancy?” echoing some of those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

That question — and the suspected targeting of one of the most powerful women in American politics — points to a form of violent misogyny that is part and parcel of larger threats to American democracy, say experts who study and track gendered political violence.

Click here to read the full article published by The 19th on 31 October 2022.