The Prince Edward Island legislature in Charlottetown on Sept. 25, 2003.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
The prevalence of online harassment targeting women and non-binary political candidates is a concerning trend that may deter them from running for office, says the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government.
Two-thirds of the female and non-binary candidates in the 2023 provincial election who were interviewed said they had faced some form of online harassment during the campaign, according to a recent study by the coalition, which advocates for more women in politics.
Kari Kruse, a project manager with the coalition, said women and non-binary people who have run for office or have indicated interest in future campaigns say they are troubled by the often misogynist online harassment they experience or witness others face.
“People are talking about feeling unprepared to deal with it, they’re worried about receiving harassment online,” Kruse said.
“It’s definitely having an impact, and it can deteriorate political participation.”
The survey and set of interviews conducted with 15 women and non-binary candidates found that a majority experienced what the authors call “technology-facilitated violence.” Fifty-three women and gender-diverse candidates who were registered to run in the 2023 election were invited to participate in the study.
The report found patterns in the online harassment the candidates faced, which included name-calling and threats of physical violence. One candidate reported receiving an anonymous threat over social media that said, “if you win your seat, you will regret it!” Another candidate reported being told to “consider focusing on your family” instead of running for office.
One survey interviewee said, “I did get threatened. A guy must have found my personal e-mail, I don’t know how. There were thinly veiled physical violence threats, with a lot of cursing. I determined which district he was from so we avoided his house and the area. I was told to maybe call the RCMP, but nothing further.”
A candidate reported being harassed on social media by a religious institution from outside of the province that they had no prior connection to. That institution reportedly criticized them for running for a party that is supportive of access to abortion.
Kruse said this survey is an important starting point for analyzing the impact of gender-based online harassment as a barrier to participation in politics.
“The very real impact is that we will have a less representative democracy. If women and gender diverse people don’t feel like they’re able to do the job of a politician because they’re fearing for their safety, that’s a real problem,” she said.
In 2023, 20 men and seven women were elected to P.E.I.’s legislature. All four of P.E.I.’s members of Parliament are men.
The coalition has used its survey results to develop a policy for how political parties can support candidates, including by educating people about the various forms of technology-facilitated violence, which include harassment over the phone and on social media, forums, podcasts and blogs. That kind of violence also includes the use of hacking and tracking software.
The coalition’s policy also offers guidelines for documenting incidents of harassment, supporting victims, as well as a standardized code of conduct for responding to harassment.
Kruse said the policy has been well-received by the province’s Progressive Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Green parties.