A female candidate slapped after a public debate, another whose home was vandalised, a man trespassed for entering the same house, shouts and jeers directed at another woman candidate for using te reo Māori – the 2023 election has certainly had its uglier moments.
But reports of abuse, threats and violence on the campaign trail shouldn’t surprise anyone. Over the past five years, female politicians have consistently spoken about the often violent and sexist harassment they receive online.
A recent United Nations study examining the experiences of female journalists established a clear link between online and real-world violence, particularly stalking. Another study found female politicians and journalists in Britain and the United States are abused on Twitter (now X) every 30 seconds.
