Failure to address online abuse of female politicians could lead to silencing of women's voices

University of Galway research found that 96% of women surveyed had received abusive social media messages

University of Galway said abusive social media messages aimed at women in politics contained hate speech, foul language and inappropriate comments.

A failure to address cyber violence against women in politics could lead to the silencing of women's voices, an academic has said.

University of Galway Associate Professor, Tom Felle, is calling for new laws and €1bn fines to criminalise social media companies who fail to tackle cyber violence against women.

He was speaking as University of Galway research found that 96% of those surveyed had received abusive social media messages containing hate speech, foul language and inappropriate comments.

University of Galway Associate Professor, Tom Felle, is calling for new laws and €1bn fines to criminalise social media companies who fail to tackle cyber violence against women.

It also found that 73% of participants had faced threats of physical violence, with an additional 38% subjected to threats of rape or sexual violence. 28% of those surveyed said they had been verbally abused in public, including incidents involving threats of acid attacks or faeces being thrown at them.

One in five surveyed said they had considered quitting politics due to online harassment they had endured. The research is based on qualitative interviews with 78 participants, including current and former members of the Oireachtas and local councillors across political parties.

Prof. Felle, who addressed the Oireachtas Taskforce on Safe Participation in Political Life on Thursday, said the research highlights the rampant prevalence of cyber violence, its impact and urgent policy responses which are needed to ensure a safe and inclusive political landscape.

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"International research shows that the overwhelming majority of perpetrators are male, often utilising the relative anonymity of the online environment to engage in aggressive behaviour" Prof. Felle explained. 

“The lack of consistent platform policies and enforcement mechanisms complicates addressing this issue effectively,” he added. Prof. Felle called for a number of educational initiatives that emphasise digital literacy, critical thinking, and appropriate online behaviour. 

"This should extend to schools and society to promote respectful online engagement. There is an urgent need to enforce existing laws to hold perpetrators accountable for online abuse and threats."