Half of women in local politics face online harassment
Nearly half (47 percent) of women in local politics face threats and hate online, compared to 35 percent of their male colleagues. Female politicians from progressive parties are particularly often targeted, according to new research commissioned by the Cabinet.
Minister Hugo de Jonge of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, who commissioned the study, called the results “scandalous and unacceptable” in a letter to parliament, according to RTL Nieuws. This behavior, targeting women in particular, is “a threat to democracy,” he said.
The study showed that women not only have to deal with more online aggression and violence, but they also experience more consequences. One in ten women indicated that they have considered quitting politics due to online harassment. De Jonge called that disconcerting. “Women no longer choose politics or even quit the profession. Or they opt for self-censorship and decide to express themselves less. It makes democracy vulnerable.”
Strikingly, women from progressive parties are more often the target of online aggression and harassment. D66 women, in particular, seem to be a magnet for threats from right-wing extremists. D66 leader Sigrid Kaag announced her departure from national politics for this reason last summer. She said she could no longer subject her family to the “hatred, harassment, and threats” she faced due to her work.
The government is investing in making politicians more resilient, and there is a special support team for women suffering from online hate. “We are going to see what extra is needed. Because we really need to prevent women from not opting for politics anymore,” De Jonge said.
But this problem is not limited to politics. It affects women at all levels of society. “Unfortunately, it is deeply anchored in society. You are not going to solve this with measures,” he said. The Minister believes “normative conversations”—confronting each other about what is normal and what is not—will have more of an effect.
