Report reveals scale of abuse faced by women in politics from countries including Australia, China, Japan and IndiaSexism, harassment and violence against women are rife in parliaments across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a damning report published on Tuesday that lays bare the scale of abuse faced by women in politics.Based on interviews with 150 female MPs and parliamentary staff across 33 countries across the region – including Australia, Mongolia, India, Indonesia and Micronesia – the study found that 76% of MPs and 63% of staff had experienced psychological gender-based violence, with 60% of MPs saying they had been targeted online by hate speech, disinformation and image-based abuse. An equal number of women were interviewed from each country. Continue reading...
A report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) found that sexism, harassment, and violence against female MPs are widespread across the Asia-Pacific region. The study, based on interviews with 150 female MPs and parliamentary staff across 33 countries, revealed that a majority experienced psychological gender-based violence and online hate speech. One in four reported sexual violence, often perpetrated by male parliamentarians within parliamentary premises. While some parliaments have introduced reporting systems, none have legislation specifically addressing violence against women in politics.
