The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) is currently co-leading a multicountry research initiative, titled “Political Parties’ Responses to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV)”, under the ALIGN (Advancing Learning and Innovation on Gender Norms) platform, funded by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). Launched in November 2024, this project investigates how social and gender norms influence political parties’ reactions to the growing threat of online gender-based violence—such as harassment, cyberstalking, doxxing, and other forms of digital abuse—targeting women in elective position to create an enabling environment. It employs a mixed-methods approach, including interviews, policy  reviews, and digital data analysis. In Brazil, Data-Pop Alliance leads the implementation, while in Nigeria, dRPC spearheads the research, ensuring both country-specific insights and opportunities for cross-country learning.
At its core, the initiative aims to generate evidence-based recommendations that help political parties, digital platforms, and regulatory frameworks evolve toward safer and more inclusive political spaces for women. Preliminary findings in Nigeria reveal that most political parties lack internal mechanisms to handle TF-GBV, and many women hesitate to report incidents due to stigma or fear of political repercussions. This research not only illuminates these gaps.