Research on the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence experienced by women TDs and senators has revealed a troubling pattern of online, psychological, sexual and physical violence, which threatens the safety and security of individual women politicians and the health of Irish democracy itself.
The research, published by Women for Election, was conducted as part of a five-country European comparative study funded by the EU CERV programme. 24 members of the Oireachtas – 34% of all female TDs and senators – responded to an anonymous survey.
The report highlights the lived experience of women politicians in their own words. Participants describe an environment in which abuse has become normalised – where death threats, rape threats, and threats targeting children are managed and endured rather than reported.
Speaking at the launch of the research, Aldagh McDonogh, chairperson of Women for Election said that the research ‘shines a light on something that too many women in Irish politics have been managing in silence’.
“Highlighting the precautionary behaviours and strategies adopted by women to enhance personal safety, the report stresses that maintaining hypervigilance requires sustained cognitive and psychological effort. This brings an additional gendered burden to the work of political campaigning. If we are serious about gender quality in politics, we must be equally serious about the conditions that make participation safe,” she said.
KEY FINDINGS
Key findings include that 96% of women parliamentarians have experienced online violence – almost universally through social media; 88% have experienced psychological violence, including sexist remarks, harassment and threats; 71% have received threats targeting themselves or people close to them, including children, elderly parents and family members with disabilities.
Further findings from the survey show that 63% have experienced sexualised violence – yet only 20% of those affected reported it; 65% have changed their social media engagement as a direct result of abuse – some delegating accounts to staff or deleting them entirely; while 46% have altered their canvassing and campaigning behaviour, including avoiding lone canvassing and checking in with staff while out in public.
ONLINE VIOLENCE
Social media emerges as the primary vector of abuse, with three-quarters of respondents receiving a substantial volume of abusive or threatening content through social media platforms. Private direct messages were found to be more threatening and personalised then public comments.
Some 79% of participants believe that gender is a factor in the abuse they receive online. Respondents describe a consistent pattern of misogynistic language, unsolicited commentary on their physical appearance, and sexually demeaning content. This content goes largely unreported with only 39% of those who experienced online violence having reported it to any authority.
Further findings from the survey show that two-thirds of participants (67%) have increased security measures at home or in their workplace. More than half (54%) report that family members worry for their safety. Nearly four in ten (38%) report negative impacts on their physical or mental health.
One participant described receiving messages specifying “how much enjoyment they will take in seeing me die a painful death.” Another was threatened with a rope and told people “had a rope for around my neck.” A third received threats of sexual violence while canvassing during an election campaign.
“The recommendations set out in the report are practical, achievable, and urgent. They require action from government, from political parties, from the Oireachtas as an institution, and from the technology platforms through which so much of this violence is inflicted. The many women who step forward to participate in our politics at both local and national levels deserve better and so does our democracy”, concluded McDonogh.
