Eighth Edition of ‘The Evidence’: How Sexist Abuse Undermines Political Representation
In this month’s issue of The Evidence newsletter, Josephine Lethbridge explores rising levels of abuse directed towards women in politics, spotlighting research on the harmful effects of online hate.
When prominent politicians posted on X in the weeks preceding this summer’s UK election, they received hateful responses almost instantly; on average, it took between one and two minutes for someone to reply with abuse.
Nearly 20 percent of that abuse was misogynist or sexually explicit.
In fact, a staggering 82 percent of women parliamentarians around the world have been subject to psychological violence, and a 2020 study by Amnesty International found that one in seven tweets directed at female politicians in India was “problematic or abusive.”
These findings add to a growing body of research which states that male and female politicians receive different kinds of abuse online. One study observes that women politicians are more likely to suffer identity-based abuse than their male counterparts, with hateful responses often centering on a woman’s body, not her politics.
There is a common belief that such abuse is simply “part of the job” for politicians, that those involved in politics should be expected to withstand personal attacks.
But as Luise Koch argues, identity-based hatred is not just a personal issue. Her research shows that female candidates in Brazil posted less frequently after spikes in sexist abuse. For Koch, online misogyny “poses a broader challenge to democracy in general, by silencing women.”
What can we do about it?
There is no easy solution to the problem of online misogyny. Experts point to the limitations of automated abuse-monitoring software and the political interests of the owners of social media platforms as barriers to positive change.
Lethbridge highlights two areas vital to creating true progress: community support and structural change.
Read this month’s full newsletter to learn about the need for transparency from social media companies and discover how communities can come together to support women politicians receiving sexist abuse online.
An archive of previous issues can be accessed through Social Science Space.
Sage – the parent of Social Science Space – sponsors The Evidence, a bold new feminist newsletter that covers everything you need to know about the latest social and behavioral science research into gender inequality. The newsletter makes research accessible and understandable, empowering readers to respond to today’s crises by making changes in their communities, their workplaces, or in the laws of their country.
