What you see when it’s your job to open a woman MP’s Facebook messages
Source: The Spinoff
I’ve worked at parliament for three different MPs over five years. For the first time, I’m now working for a woman MP, and the kind of messages sent to her online are shocking.
“Hey, what are you up to tonight?”
“Is that your boyfriend?”
It’s 9.37pm and I assume my MP has had the gall to go out in public, as these messages have just appeared in her Facebook inbox. Surprise, surprise: It’s from a man.
I’m a little worried, so I let her know that she’s under surveillance by a presumably creepy dude.
“Bitch”
It’s 9.50pm. I think he’s a bit grumpy that he hasn’t had a response. The messages continue for a few days, growing grumpier and nastier. Thankfully, he eventually gets bored and the messages stop.
This sort of thing goes with the job if you’re a Member of Parliament who happens to be a woman, especially if you’re young, especially if you have a profile.
“Bullshit slut”
It shouldn’t be.
I’ve worked at parliament for three different MPs for around five years now. This is the first time I’ve worked for a woman.
My job title is Executive Support and Research. It’s a pretty complex job: I balance the diary, conduct research, produce comms material and do pretty much anything else my MP needs. This includes managing and responding to traditional letters and emails; it also means dealing with the wonderful world of Facebook messages – the one part of her social media where my MP has relinquished control to me.
The most jarring difference between working for a male MP and working for a female MP is these Facebook messages. I shudder to think what she receives on the likes of Instagram and Twitter.
Click here to read the full article published by The Spinoff on 14 January 2019.
I’ve worked at parliament for three different MPs over five years. For the first time, I’m now working for a woman MP, and the kind of messages sent to her online are shocking.
“Hey, what are you up to tonight?”
“Is that your boyfriend?”
It’s 9.37pm and I assume my MP has had the gall to go out in public, as these messages have just appeared in her Facebook inbox. Surprise, surprise: It’s from a man.
I’m a little worried, so I let her know that she’s under surveillance by a presumably creepy dude.
“Bitch”
It’s 9.50pm. I think he’s a bit grumpy that he hasn’t had a response. The messages continue for a few days, growing grumpier and nastier. Thankfully, he eventually gets bored and the messages stop.
This sort of thing goes with the job if you’re a Member of Parliament who happens to be a woman, especially if you’re young, especially if you have a profile.
“Bullshit slut”
It shouldn’t be.
I’ve worked at parliament for three different MPs for around five years now. This is the first time I’ve worked for a woman.
My job title is Executive Support and Research. It’s a pretty complex job: I balance the diary, conduct research, produce comms material and do pretty much anything else my MP needs. This includes managing and responding to traditional letters and emails; it also means dealing with the wonderful world of Facebook messages – the one part of her social media where my MP has relinquished control to me.
The most jarring difference between working for a male MP and working for a female MP is these Facebook messages. I shudder to think what she receives on the likes of Instagram and Twitter.
Click here to read the full article published by The Spinoff on 14 January 2019.
