If we take abuse of women for granted in politics, our democracy will pay
Source: City A.M.
Online abuse and harassment of women in public life has become a curse on our political landscape. For many, such abuse is simply the cost of doing politics, an unfortunate but largely inevitable factor women have to wrestle with when making the decision to enter public life.
At best, the abuse is insulting and unsavoury, and at worst it is violent, aggressive and leads to real world violence. The latter is not a question of simply ignoring it, of turning off Twitter notifications and hoping for the best. As was tragically demonstrated by the death of Jo Cox, it may start online but it translates into a very tangible danger. Underneath this is another unpalatable truth: the addition of race, sexuality and disability increases the amount of abuse they are likely to receive online.
Click here to read the full article published by City A.M. on 15 June 2022.
Online abuse and harassment of women in public life has become a curse on our political landscape. For many, such abuse is simply the cost of doing politics, an unfortunate but largely inevitable factor women have to wrestle with when making the decision to enter public life.
At best, the abuse is insulting and unsavoury, and at worst it is violent, aggressive and leads to real world violence. The latter is not a question of simply ignoring it, of turning off Twitter notifications and hoping for the best. As was tragically demonstrated by the death of Jo Cox, it may start online but it translates into a very tangible danger. Underneath this is another unpalatable truth: the addition of race, sexuality and disability increases the amount of abuse they are likely to receive online.
Click here to read the full article published by City A.M. on 15 June 2022.