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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics

Online abuse is a daily reality for women in public life

Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow.
Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow. ‘Attacks on her appearance and competence sit alongside multiple violent threats.’ Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian

Reading Stella Creasy’s piece about the online abuse she received after sharing an image of herself enjoying a silent disco in her constituency filled me with a mix of anger and weary understanding (When I get abused just for dancing, it shows how far hatred of politicians has gone, 7 April).

My own research in this area, which now spans almost a decade, has consistently shown that women working across the public sphere are targeted with misogynistic online abuse, and that what happens in digital spaces echoes other forms of gender‑based violence.

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