WATCH: No Roles For Trolls - Rhoda Grant, Molly Nolan and Maree Todd on women in politics and online abuse
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We launched our anti-trolling campaign last week by asking several pubic figures how online abuse had impacted them in their private and public life.
However, that trolling and abusive online behaviour can have an even more significant toll when it actively affects political representation.
This was highlighted in our recent interview with three local politicians who highlighted how abuse is something they are regularly confronted with as women in leadership roles.
“Still only a third of the representatives in the Highlands are women, and it’s the same for members of the Scottish Parliament,” said SNP candidate Maree Todd.
“We are still not quite managing to get over the line.”
She said that for many reasons, among which the weight of caring responsibilities, it was still tricky for women to “get their heads beyond the parapet”.
“This gets more difficult if, when you do step forward, you also have to face abuse,” she added.
“When I first got into politics, I found it alarming that my kids would be able to see these comments, although they may laugh at them as teenagers do. But my husband and my family can see them too, and sometimes it can be hard on them. It does take a toll on the ones you love and care for.
“As leaders and as politicians, we have a very important role in conducting ourselves in a manner that is respectful even when we interact with people we disagree with.
“Many women are put off by the aggressive way some conduct politics, and many will disengage with politics for that reason. Having people sniping away from the sidelines puts people off political debate, and puts people off voting at the worst end.
Labour candidate, Rhoda Grant, said that every time she had to face an abusive comment online, it always came from men.
“There are so many ingrained disparities,” she said.
“I don’t think men notice it. Even in real life, when you have an assistant who is a man the conversation gets directed to them, and you are standing there thinking ‘is it not worth speaking to me at all?’”
Talking about abusive online comments, she said: “I have switched off my notifications so, if there is anything happening, it’s my choice to go in and look.
“My advice when it comes to this is block, block, block.
“You shouldn’t accept for yourself a treatment that you wouldn’t accept for anyone else.”
Lib Dem candidate Molly Nolan said: “I think that online abuse was one of the biggest things in my mind when I was preparing to stand.
“I have grown up with the internet and I think I was prepared for what I was getting into, and when I thought about standing I did think that this was going to be quite tough from a social media point of view. This is something that many women will think about, and it’s not an easy decision. However, I don’t think that anyone is quite prepared for the first time you get piled on with abuse on Twitter.
“I think of myself as being pretty resilient, but who I worry about are my friends and family, because they didn’t sign up for any of this.
“I have received support messages from male colleagues who see what sort of messages we are subjected to, but I would love for men to be calling out this behaviour more.
“Change has to start in real-life interactions. There needs to be much more robust political leadership from across the world to stand up and say unequivocally ‘this is wrong’ – whatever side you are backing.”
You can watch the full interview at the link below:
