Women in Asia-Pacific politics reveal alarming level of gender-based violence they face
Source: ABC News
Women in dozens of parliaments across the Asia-Pacific are experiencing significant levels of abuse, violence and harassment, a new report has found, with online abuse a key issue.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) interviewed 150 female MPs and staff, finding that 76 per cent of MPs and 63 per cent of staff had experienced gender-based violence.
The women worked in parliaments in 33 countries in the region, including in Australia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Philippines.
Sixty per cent of respondents said they had been the target of hate speech, image-based abuse and disinformation online — the highest recorded by the IPU since they began studies of this kind around the world.
One in four reported having experienced sexual violence, with more than half of the incidents taking place within parliamentary grounds and committed by male MPs.
Two women reported being sexually assaulted.
IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said violence and sexism against women in parliamentary workplaces "is a direct assault on democracy itself".
"Parliaments must be sanctuaries for healthy debate and law-making," Mr Chungong said.
Read here the full article published by ABC News on 26 March 2025.
Image by ABC News
Women in dozens of parliaments across the Asia-Pacific are experiencing significant levels of abuse, violence and harassment, a new report has found, with online abuse a key issue.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) interviewed 150 female MPs and staff, finding that 76 per cent of MPs and 63 per cent of staff had experienced gender-based violence.
The women worked in parliaments in 33 countries in the region, including in Australia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Philippines.
Sixty per cent of respondents said they had been the target of hate speech, image-based abuse and disinformation online — the highest recorded by the IPU since they began studies of this kind around the world.
One in four reported having experienced sexual violence, with more than half of the incidents taking place within parliamentary grounds and committed by male MPs.
Two women reported being sexually assaulted.
IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said violence and sexism against women in parliamentary workplaces "is a direct assault on democracy itself".
"Parliaments must be sanctuaries for healthy debate and law-making," Mr Chungong said.
Read here the full article published by ABC News on 26 March 2025.
Image by ABC News