CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses sexual harassment and abuse.
A new Asia-Pacific study has exposed alarming levels of sexism and violence experienced by women in politics, with over half the incidents of sexual harassment taking place on parliamentary premises.
Published on Tuesday, the study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) interviewed 150 female MPs and staff from 33 countries, including Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and New Zealand.
It found over half (60 per cent) of women parliamentarians have been targeted by hate speech, disinformation, image-based abuse, or doxing. This is the highest rate recorded by the IPU since they began studies of this kind globally.
A significant number of women and staff in parliament deal with violence, it found. One in four women parliamentarians have faced sexual violence, while a similar number have experienced financial harm or had their belongings damaged.
IPU secretary general Martin Chungong described such incidents as “a direct assault on democracy itself”, adding parliaments “must be sanctuaries for healthy debate and law-making”.
“We have the tools to support them. It is our responsibility to foster a political climate where women can thrive without the shadow of violence,” he said.
Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, secretary general of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) agreed that violence against women in politics remains a significant barrier to their participation.
“Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures from political institutions to foster a safe and supportive environment where women can engage without fear or constraint,” she said.
‘I can touch you, can’t I?’
The study’s series of anonymous interviews outlined the incredibly concerning experiences of women in politics.
In one instance, a parliamentarian said a male colleague called her a “beauty queen” while she was discussing the annual budget and another said she received online comments about the size and shape of her breasts.
Another participant shared a colleague had shouted at her and threatened to hit her. “He also threatened to cut off another
woman colleague’s hand!” she stated.
Numerous testimonies described sexual comments and jokes, advances, and physical contact that made women parliamentarians and other staff members feel uncomfortable.
“During a team training session outside Parliament, my superior tried to force me into his hotel room while touching my face and body. I was disgusted and ran away. Often he would get very drunk and touch my shoulder, whispering in my ear, ‘I can touch you, can’t I?’” a staff member said.
“I entered politics at the age of 26. Men would drink and try to touch me everywhere, while making propositions like, ‘If you show me your underwear, I’ll vote for you.’ Older MPs would try to lure me to questionable places,” another person added.
Per the study, certain groups – women under the age of 40, women from minority backgrounds and unmarried women – face disproportionately higher rates of violence.
“A colleague touched my back and shoulders and asked me about my breasts while we were having a drink. As I’m single, some colleagues in parliament think I’m an easy target,” a participant explained.
Around eight per cent said they had been slapped, pushed, or hit. One parliamentarian reported that a colleague had spat on her and another said a colleague had thrown water in her face and insulted her.
Nearly all the women parliamentarians surveyed (96 per cent) said they didn’t report the incidents of sexist behaviour or remarks, a much higher rate than women in European and African parliaments. Just five per cent who were sexually harassed reported it to the authorities in their parliament.
Similarly, just one of the staff respondents who had experienced sexist behaviour or remarks officially reported the incident. Only 10 per cent who experienced sexual harassment told their supervisor about it — when the supervisor was a woman.
Some positive steps to help women in politics
While the figures are pretty grim, the study also found several parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region — including in Australia, Fiji, India and Thailand — have been taking active steps to address these issues, including introducing confidential reporting mechanisms and support services.
Still, there’s more work to do to better protect women in politics, Brigitte Filion, the report’s main author, told ABC News.
“I think [parliaments] should work on legislation, on strong laws, about violence against women in politics … [and] against gender-based violence in general, because it’s not just parliamentarians — it’s journalists and advocates targeted online too,” she said.
Australia has adopted steps in the right direction, Filion noted, after the review by Kate Jenkins to improve reporting pathways and mechanisms to deal with abuse.
According to World Bank data, of the 37 countries in the Asia-Pacific region included in the study, 16 have legislation governing sexual harassment in the workplace.
Other key recommendations include: having an internal policy or code of conduct against harassment and gender-based violence in parliament; awareness-raising and training; and access to counselling and support services.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
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