{"id":1453799,"date":"2024-01-19T09:49:51","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T09:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=95807"},"modified":"2024-01-19T09:49:51","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T09:49:51","slug":"golriz-ghahramans-exit-from-politics-shows-the-toll-of-online-bullying-on-female-mps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2024\/01\/19\/golriz-ghahramans-exit-from-politics-shows-the-toll-of-online-bullying-on-female-mps\/","title":{"rendered":"Golriz Ghahraman\u2019s exit from politics shows the toll of online bullying on female\u00a0MPs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>ANALYSIS:<\/strong> <em>By <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/cassandra-mudgway-409973\">Cassandra Mudgway<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The high-stress nature of working in politics is increasingly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/political\/494224\/parlimentary-workplace-culture-improved-significantly-since-damning-2019-review-report\">taking a toll on staff and politicians<\/a>. But an additional threat to the personal wellbeing and safety of politicians resides outside Parliament, and the threat is ubiquitous: online violence against women MPs.<\/p>\n<p>Since her election in 2017, Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman has been subject to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1news.co.nz\/2024\/01\/16\/ghahraman-faced-continuous-sexual-physical-threats-shaw\/\">persistent online violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ghahraman\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/statement_from_golriz_ghahraman\">resignation<\/a> following allegations of shoplifting exposes the toll sustained online violence can have on a person\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-zealand-newsrooms-saw-the-rise-of-mob-censorship-in-2023-as-journalists-faced-a-barrage-of-abuse-219583\">READ MORE: <\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-zealand-newsrooms-saw-the-rise-of-mob-censorship-in-2023-as-journalists-faced-a-barrage-of-abuse-219583\">New Zealand newsrooms saw the rise of &#8216;mob censorship&#8217; in 2023, as journalists faced a barrage of abuse<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/analysis-shows-horrifying-extent-of-abuse-sent-to-women-mps-via-twitter-126166\">Analysis shows horrifying extent of abuse sent to women MPs via Twitter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-misogyny-narcissism-and-a-desperate-need-for-power-make-men-abuse-women-online-95054\">How misogyny, narcissism and a desperate need for power make men abuse women online<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/zm9gn8\/biography-as-a-battleground-what-it-means-to-be-new-zealands-first-refugee-mp\">interview with <em>Vice<\/em><\/a> in 2018, Ghahraman expressed how the online abuse was overwhelming and questioned how long she would continue in Parliament.<\/p>\n<p>Resigning in 2024, Ghahraman said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/statement_from_golriz_ghahraman\">in a statement:<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>it is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>and<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>the best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Ghahraman is not alone in receiving torrents of online abuse. Many other New Zealand women MPs have also been targeted, including former Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.auckland.ac.nz\/en\/news\/2023\/01\/24\/data-shines-a-light-on-the-online-hatred-for-jacinda-ardern.html\">Jacinda Ardern<\/a>, Green Party co-leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/361341\/green-party-co-leader-receives-rape-and-death-threats-on-social-media\">Marama Davidson<\/a>, National MP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/lately\/audio\/2018836535\/female-politicians-face-sexist-abuse-online\">Nicola Willis<\/a> and Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/national\/programmes\/lately\/audio\/2018836535\/female-politicians-face-sexist-abuse-online\">Debbie Ngarewa-Packer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Words can not only hurt, but they can seriously endanger a person\u2019s wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>Online violence against women MPs, particularly against women of colour, is a concerning global trend. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/13218719.2022.2142975\">an Australian study<\/a>, women MPs were found to be disproportionately targeted by public threats, particularly facing higher rates of online threats involving sexual violence and racist remarks.<\/p>\n<p>Similar online threats face women MPs in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2023\/feb\/17\/how-female-mps-cope-with-misogynistic-abuse\">United Kingdom<\/a>. Studies show that women of colour receive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org.uk\/online-violence-women-mps\">more intense abuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Male politicians are also subject to online violence. But when directed at women the violence frequently exhibits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/14680777.2023.2181136\">a misogynistic character<\/a>, encompassing derogatory gender-specific language and menacing sexualised threats, constituting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/en\/what-we-do\/ending-violence-against-women\/faqs\/tech-facilitated-gender-based-violence\">gender-based violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Golriz Ghahraman\u2019s exit from politics shows the toll of online bullying on female MPs<\/p>\n<p>Many say it&#8217;s become overwhelming, writes <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LegallyFeminist?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@LegallyFeminist<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ucnz<\/a>).<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PSsG9OBCii\">https:\/\/t.co\/PSsG9OBCii<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Conversation &#8211; Australia + New Zealand (@ConversationEDU) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ConversationEDU\/status\/1748193858914054500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<strong>Our legal framework is not enough<\/strong><br \/>\nNew Zealand\u2019s current legal framework is not well equipped to respond to the kind of online violence experienced by women MPs like Ghahraman.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.govt.nz\/act\/public\/2015\/0063\/latest\/whole.html\">Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015<\/a> is designed to address online harassment by a single known perpetrator. But the most distressing kind of abuse comes from the sheer number of violent commentators, most of whom are unknown to the victim or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compassioninpolitics.com\/three_quarters_of_those_experiencing_online_abuse_say_it_comes_from_anonymous_accounts\">intentionally anonymous<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This includes \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/rm.coe.int\/the-relevance-of-the-ic-and-the-budapest-convention-on-cybercrime-in-a\/1680a5eba3\">mob style<\/a>\u201d attacks, where large numbers of perpetrators coordinate efforts to harass, threaten, or intimidate their target.<\/p>\n<p>Without legal recourse, women MPs have two options &#8212; tolerate the torrent of abuse, or resign. Both of these options <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cigionline.org\/articles\/when-women-are-silenced-online-democracy-suffers\/\">endanger<\/a> representative democracy.<\/p>\n<p>Putting up with abuse may mean serious impacts on mental health and personal safety. It may also have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2016\/jun\/18\/vile-online-abuse-against-women-mps-needs-to-be-challenged-now\">chilling effect<\/a> on what topics women MPs choose to speak about publicly. Resigning means losing important representation of diverse perspectives, especially from minorities.<\/p>\n<p>Having to tolerate the abuse is a breach of the right <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/documents\/general-comments-and-recommendations\/general-recommendation-no-35-2017-gender-based\">to be free from gender-based violence<\/a>. Being forced to resign because of it also breaches women\u2019s rights to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/instruments-mechanisms\/instruments\/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women\">participate in politics<\/a>. Therefore, the government has duties under international human rights law to prevent, respond and redress online violence against women.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#8220;More than 70 national elections are scheduled for 2024. But one group is likely to be significantly under-represented: women. A major reason is the disproportionate amount of abuse female politicians and candidates receive online.&#8221;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SuPn36zLb4\">https:\/\/t.co\/SuPn36zLb4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM (@IPDefenseForum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IPDefenseForum\/status\/1745702227761664002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 12, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Steps the government can take<br \/>\n<\/strong>United Nations human rights bodies provide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/documents\/general-comments-and-recommendations\/general-recommendation-no-35-2017-gender-based\">some guidance<\/a> for measures the government could implement to fulfil their obligations and safeguard women\u2019s human rights online.<\/p>\n<p>As one of the drivers of online violence against women MPs is prevailing patriarchal attitudes, the government\u2019s first step should be to correctly label the behaviour: gender-based violence.<\/p>\n<p>Calling online harassment \u201ctrolling\u201d or \u201ccyberbullying\u201d downplays the harm and risks normalising the behaviour. \u201cGender-based violence\u201d reflects the systemic nature of the abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, the government should urgently review the Harmful Digital Communication Act. The legislation is now nine years old and should be updated to reflect the harmful online behaviour of the 2020s, such as targeted mob-style attacks.<\/p>\n<p>New Zealand is also now out of step with other countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.austlii.edu.au\/cgi-bin\/viewdb\/au\/legis\/cth\/consol_act\/osa2021154\/\">Australia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/2023\/50\/enacted\">the UK<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eu-digital-services-act.com\/\">European Union<\/a> have all recently strengthened their laws to tackle harmful online content.<\/p>\n<p>These new laws focus on holding big tech companies accountable and encourage cooperation between the government, online platforms and civil society. Greater collaboration, alongside enforcement mechanisms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/en\/digital-library\/publications\/2022\/08\/intensification-of-efforts-to-eliminate-all-forms-of-violence-against-women-report-of-the-secretary-general-2022#:~:text=Pursuant%20to%20UN%20General%20Assembly,as%20on%20broader%20efforts%20to\">is essential<\/a> to address systemic issues like gender-based violence.<\/p>\n<p>Thirdly, given the <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2022\/07\/12\/digital-harm-soaring-year-on-year\">increasing scale<\/a> of online violence, the government should ensure adequate resourcing for police to investigate serious incidents. Resources should also be made available for social media moderation among all MPs and training in online safety.<\/p>\n<p>More than ever, words have the power to break people <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/disinformation-campaigns-are-undermining-democracy-heres-how-we-can-fight-back-217539\">and democracies<\/a>. It is now the urgent task of the government to fulfil its legal obligations toward women MPs.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/221400\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/cassandra-mudgway-409973\"><em>Dr Cassandra Mudgway<\/em><\/a><em> is senior lecturer in law, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury.<\/a>\u00a0This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/golriz-ghahramans-exit-from-politics-shows-the-toll-of-online-bullying-on-female-mps-221400\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2024\/01\/19\/golriz-ghahramans-exit-from-politics-shows-the-toll-of-online-bullying-on-female-mps\/\">Asia Pacific Report<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANALYSIS: By Cassandra Mudgway, University of Canterbury The high-stress nature of working in politics is increasingly taking a toll on staff and politicians. But an additional threat to the personal wellbeing and safety of politicians resides outside Parliament, and the threat is ubiquitous: online violence against women MPs. Since her election in 2017, Green Party<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":400,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441,605,432,48025,433,5,975,1284,365,13359,4597,6,8342,1764,10623,255,58718,26867,35592,59417,33,12,1834,13,1872,14,784,392,417,1743,8296,49231],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453799"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/400"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1453799"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1454936,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453799\/revisions\/1454936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1453799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1453799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1453799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}