Bookshelf

Eighth Edition of ‘The Evidence’: How Sexist Abuse Undermines Political Representation 

September 25, 2024 487

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. 

Joe Sweeney is a corporate communications at Sage. Prior to working for Sage he earned a master’s degree in English literature, with a focus on photography, architecture, and fiction writing from 1900—present.

View all posts by Joe Sweeney

Related Articles

Revisiting the ‘Research Parasite’ Debate in the Age of AI
International Debate
September 11, 2024

Revisiting the ‘Research Parasite’ Debate in the Age of AI

Read Now
Partnership Marks Milestone in Advancing Black Scholarship 
Communication
September 10, 2024

Partnership Marks Milestone in Advancing Black Scholarship 

Read Now
Seventh Edition of ‘The Evidence’: The Rise of Unsafe Abortions after Roe v Wade 
Bookshelf
August 30, 2024

Seventh Edition of ‘The Evidence’: The Rise of Unsafe Abortions after Roe v Wade 

Read Now
Where Did We Get the Phrase ‘Publish or Perish’?
Communication
August 14, 2024

Where Did We Get the Phrase ‘Publish or Perish’?

Read Now
Sixth Edition of ‘The Evidence’: We Need a New Approach to Preventing Sexual Violence

Sixth Edition of ‘The Evidence’: We Need a New Approach to Preventing Sexual Violence

In this month’s installment of The Evidence newsletter, journalist Josephine Lethbridge explores recent research into sexual violence prevention programs and interviews experts […]

Read Now
Stop Buying Cobras: Halting the Rise of Fake Academic Papers

Stop Buying Cobras: Halting the Rise of Fake Academic Papers

It is estimated that all journals, irrespective of discipline, experience a steeply rising number of fake paper submissions. Currently, the rate is about 2 percent. That may sound small. But, given the large and growing amount of scholarly publications it means that a lot of fake papers are published. Each of these can seriously damage patients, society or nature when applied in practice.

Read Now
Let’s Return to Retractions Being Corrective, Not Punitive

Let’s Return to Retractions Being Corrective, Not Punitive

The retraction of academic papers often functions as an indictment against a researcher’s reputation. Tim Kersjes argues that for retractions to function as an effective corrective to the scholarly record, they need shed this punitive reputation.

Read Now
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments