Gendered online harassment is a serious problem in Australia. Online abuse is a strategy to discipline women and non-binary people in the public eye, discourage them from taking up positions of power or trying to control what they do when they hold these positions. The murder of British MP Jo Cox has sadly shown that online abuse can precipitate offline violence. Online abuse is likely to be more extreme against women and non-binary people who belong to marginalised communities and is intersectional in nature and impact. We know the political sphere necessitates intense debate and disagreement, but personal, vitriolic attacks based on gender identity or expression have no place in politics.

A key element of GEN VIC’s #EnoughIsEnough campaign in 2021 was a thorough understanding of the impact of gendered online harassment on women and non-binary people working in politics. GEN VIC’s new report shows that all levels of politics can be extremely hostile and harmful to women and non-binary people, including elected officials, their staff and other political workers who are responsible for reading online abuse as part of their job. Join us for the launch of the “It’s personal, not just political” report where we will discuss the important findings and recommendations. Four experts will share their thoughts and reactions to the report and the key issues it raises. The report outlines concrete recommendations for how to prevent and respond to gendered online harassment in three critical contexts: political workplaces, platform regulation, and cultural change.

Speakers include:

Pamela Anderson, CEO, EMILY’s List Australia

Kathryn Arndt, CEO, Victorian Local Government Association
Dr Anjalee de Silva, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Melbourne
Megan Wenlock, Industrial Officer, Community and Public Sector Union

Moderator

Caitlin McGrane, Project Lead, Gender Equity Victoria