Westminster’s toxic and exclusionary culture threatens to displace female parliamentarians and undermine democracy, according to a report by the Fawcett Society.
Only 37% of women MPs agreed that the culture in parliament was “inclusive for people like me,” compared to the majority of men, the report found. rice field.
Over the past five years, 69% of women and 49% of national congressmen witnessed sexist behavior in parliament, the report said.
More than 90% of female parliamentarians said online harassment and harassment had a negative impact on how they felt about their role, compared to 76% of male parliamentarians.
And 73% of female lawmakers said they were not using social media to speak out on specific issues because of abuse, compared to 51% of male lawmakers.
A female parliamentarian interviewed for this report said:
“And you have to look really, really brave on the outside, and the inside will break you.”
The Fawcett Society warned that without urgent action, the underrepresentation of women, especially blacks, minorities and disabled people, in Westminster would worsen.
CEO Jemima Olchawski said:
“Sexism, racism, disabilityism and other forms of discrimination do not exist in our society.So many members of Congress have experienced these toxic behaviors in parliament and online. It is very disturbing and undermines our democracy.
“It is totally unacceptable for lawmakers to work in an environment that is more abusive than inclusive.
“It prevents incumbents from speaking out on important issues and discourages rising women MPs from running for office.
“Given that these are the experiences of the most powerful women in our country, imagine how bad it would be for women without power or privilege. am.”
Maria Miller, chairman of the All-Party Congressional Group for Women in Congress, said the Fawcett Institute’s study found a “worrisome disconnect” between members of Congress and the culture of the House and many “well-thought-out changes”. ‘ was identified for the first time. MPs can easily agree.”
