Women in politics face more personal, sexualized attacks than men, a recent analysis shows
Online spaces, and social media in particular, are forums for vigorous political debate. They provide a space for members of the public to express political opinions, organize and sometimes even interact directly with politicians. While they clearly have democratizing potential, these platforms have also become fertile ground for hate speech, toxic interactions and online violence.
A recent analysis reveals that women in politics face more personal and sexualized attacks than their male counterparts on social media. Researchers studied over 3.2 million responses to 88 candidates for the 2024 European Parliament elections and found that women candidates received more toxic replies in absolute terms. However, when accounting for the overall number of replies, the gender difference in toxic replies was no longer significant.
Women received 71% of the clearly toxic replies, which were often personally degrading, sexually explicit, and aimed at silencing them. In contrast, male politicians faced insults focused on their political decisions or character. The study found that female candidates, especially those from left-leaning political groups, received higher volumes of toxic replies.
The abuse carries a higher psychological impact due to multiple simultaneous attacks, sending a collective signal that a woman's presence in politics is unwelcome. This phenomenon is not limited to a single country, platform, or political culture, as research from Sweden, New Zealand, and the Netherlands has documented similar gendered patterns.
The consequences of online abuse include reduced reelection ambitions, self-censorship, and women withdrawing from digital spaces. To combat this issue, the EU has taken steps such as criminalizing cyberstalking and harassment, and requiring platforms to identify and mitigate risks to democratic processes. However, social media platform moderation policies should focus on gendered abuse, considering its unique aspects and local language. Continuous monitoring is also necessary as online abuse adapts.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
