B次元官网网址淪he believed she could, so she did.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� R.S. Grey
International WomenB次元官网网址檚 Day has been around for more than a century, marked on March 8 each year.
Canada has made great strides over the years, with an equal number of men and women appointed to the federal cabinet in 2015 for the first time in the country's history. Provincially, B.C. hit gender parity in the legislature for the first time following the October 2024 provincial election. Federally, 103 female MPs are members of the 338-member House of Commons, or 30 per cent, which Statistics Canada says ranks Canada at 56th in the world in terms of share of female parliamentarians.
A also shows that women represent 31 per cent of all municipal elected representatives in Canada.
At a community level, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and White Rock Mayor Megan Knight are part of the growing number of women occupying elected leadership positions.
But they worry the gains Canada has seen won't continue with the rising tide of hate and misogyny directed at women in elected office.
Locke is concerned that the current climate online is a deterrent to women stepping up.
B次元官网网址淭his kind of behaviour is very divisive in communities. ItB次元官网网址檚 also very discouraging for women to get into public life. B次元官网网址� We need more women to get into public life B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檝e actually had young women say to me, who IB次元官网网址檇 love to mentor, B次元官网网址楴o I donB次元官网网址檛 think I could take it,B次元官网网址� Locke said.
In a , Knight also spoke about the challenges of being an elected official.
"From the get go B次元官网网址� all of a sudden people donB次元官网网址檛 like you B次元官网网址� youB次元官网网址檙e getting attacked for a decision you made ... 'Why did you say that?' or 'Why did you do that?'" she said. "It is tough nowadays with social media."
Maite Taboada, an SFU professor and academic, said that sadly, misogyny "has been a huge part" of online spaces, including gaming sites as well as social media.
"(Misogyny) is just part of our society, like racism is, like homophobia is. ... What I seem to see in politics is a weaponization of that for political purposes," she said. "ItB次元官网网址檚 a problem when people feel they cannot participate. When we start losing those people (i.e. females, minorities, etc.) in public spaces, that is a problem with democracy."
'It emboldens bigotry'
ItB次元官网网址檚 not like misogyny, racism and hate are new.
UBC political science professor Terri Givens, who studies what she calls the radical right, said that, when a personality like U.S. President Donald Trump gets elected, it gives others confidence to express their own, similar views.
B次元官网网址淭rump just tapped into what was already there. Every society has a theme of violence against women, against people who are different B次元官网网址� I hate to say it, but I think itB次元官网网址檚 times of being more civilized that are more rare,B次元官网网址� she said.
Givens said that, when a personality like Trump gets elected, it gives others confidence to express their own, similar views.
B次元官网网址淯nfortunately what this does is, it emboldens bigotry B次元官网网址� Part of the reason Trump got re-elected is because he says things out loud that a lot of people resonate with,B次元官网网址� she said.
Take the man who held up a sign at a Texas university shortly after Trump was elected in 2024 stating B次元官网网址榃omen Are Property." Or the X post from white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes saying, B次元官网网址淵our body, my choice. Forever,B次元官网网址� which garnered more than 90 million views in just a few days.
While itB次元官网网址檚 not just women who are attacked on social media and in other online forums, reports show women face a disproportionate amount of online abuse compared to their male counterparts.
All across Europe, the U.K., Asia, the U.S. and Canada, there are reports that confirm what most women B次元官网网址� especially women in prominent or leadership positions B次元官网网址� already know: They will be attacked more online and treated differently from their male colleagues.
In Canada, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, 2017 found that women, girls, and gender-diverse people are at and hate, especially the most severe types of harassment and sexualized abuse. in 2019 showed 67 per cent of those who report online intimidation to police are women and girls, and one in five women report experiencing online harassment.
In Spain, a that online misogyny and denigration of female politicians focused on disparaging attacks about the female body, with those who were overweight being the most vilified.
that online abuse of women is widespread in the U.K., with one in five women having suffered online abuse or harassment.
Being a global issue, itB次元官网网址檚 no wonder the reverberations of blatant online chauvinism, discrimination, bullying and racism have made their way to the local level.
Online abuse common right here at home
Knight, in the same podcast, talked about how sheB次元官网网址檚 treated differently than her male colleagues, noting she gets attacked for everything from her wardrobe or hairstyle to her jewelry.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 tough being a woman too B次元官网网址� I get slammed about a dress IB次元官网网址檒l wear, I get slammed about the colour of my hair, or B次元官网网址榊ou wore that outfit at another event,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Knight shared. B次元官网网址淗mmmmm B次元官网网址� you donB次元官网网址檛 say that about a man in a suit or a man thatB次元官网网址檚 wearing shorts and a golf shirt, no B次元官网网址� but as a woman, you get attacked about everything, even your jewelry B次元官网网址� my husband gave me a nice ring for my engagement ring, now IB次元官网网址檓 a rich person. I get slammed on a lot of things and I donB次元官网网址檛 think men do, so itB次元官网网址檚 a little tougher on us."
White Rock councillors Elaine Cheung and Michele Partridge receive more than their share of online abuse, sometimes coming in the form of casual sexism from the members of the public who address them as "girls" during question period, or even a male counterpart on council who called the pair "girls" in an online post.
Locke agreed she gets treated differently than her male colleagues, adding she gets attacked for her clothes or her hair or many other things not related to her role as mayor, on a constant basis.
Such online or emailed abuse is not rare, she noted.
B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 just something that happens on a monthly or weekly (basis) B次元官网网址� this is going on often, every single day,B次元官网网址� Locke said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 ongoing and absolutely on social media. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt there is significant B次元官网网址� significant B次元官网网址� bullying and misogyny and aggression and general bad manners and lack of decorum. B次元官网网址� It has changed over the past number of years.B次元官网网址�
'I do live in a reality where I expect racism'
The issue can be further complicated for women of colour, who face the added layer of racism.
Cheung and Partridge point to comments from some social media users who disagreed on how the pair voted at council meetings B次元官网网址� particularly when it comes to highrises in the seaside city.
B次元官网网址淐heung and Partridge want White Rock to look more Hong Kongish. Just like home!B次元官网网址� one local resident posted on Facebook.
B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 face it, White Rock we will soon look like Hong Kong if these city councillors and mayor have their way,B次元官网网址� another post read.
(Cheung is from Hong Kong, where she was born and lived until she was nine, but Partridge is not.)
The one commenter who returned a call from PAN denied the post was racist B次元官网网址� it was, he said, merely about housing and the councillors' promise to follow the OCP prior to their election B次元官网网址� but the councillors say it is just one illustration of the way they are "denigrated" online.
B次元官网网址淭his is something weB次元官网网址檝e been dealing with for (more than) two years," Partridge said.
"The reason we ran, like everybody runs, is because you love where you live and you want to try to make change and progress and you go in with the best of intentions,B次元官网网址� Partridge said. B次元官网网址淎nd then to literally be emailed, in person, online, letters to the editor B次元官网网址� to constantly be insulted and name-called and denigrated B次元官网网址� (Elaine and I) are like, B次元官网网址榃hat have we done wrong? What are we doing wrong?B次元官网网址� And they wonB次元官网网址檛 tell you, theyB次元官网网址檒l just name-call and yell at you.B次元官网网址�
Cheung echoed Locke's concerns about women, and others, choosing not to participate in public roles.
B次元官网网址淲e have a decline of qualified people going into politics B次元官网网址� men and women B次元官网网址� because of these keyboard warriors,B次元官网网址� Cheung said. B次元官网网址淚t shows the undercurrents of a very negative and fear-based society B次元官网网址� the second they read something on the internet they donB次元官网网址檛 do the research, they just instantly react in a negative way.B次元官网网址�
Even Peace Arch B次元官网网址 employees arenB次元官网网址檛 immune from todayB次元官网网址檚 abusive social media environment. After writing a story about schools being overcrowded in Surrey, reporter Sobia Moman was targeted by an online troll.
B次元官网网址淲hy donB次元官网网址檛 you write about how your filthy race is destroying the country and overcrowding every place instead of avoiding the topic,B次元官网网址� the troll commented on X.
Moman said that, sadly, she is used to such behaviour because it is common.
"I do live in a reality where I expect racism to come towards me and other racialized people. This person is not even close to the first to send me racist messages. ... I am fairly used to it and expect it, not only because of our social climate, but also because of the rise in hatred and mistrust towards journalists in the last few years."
Having close acquaintances who have her back helps, she noted.
"IB次元官网网址檝e been brown my whole life, IB次元官网网址檝e been a woman my whole life and IB次元官网网址檝e been Muslim my whole life who also grew up in a post-9/11 world. I experienced racism before I even knew what what it was when I was a child, so coming from that lens, you sort of feel like this type of rhetoric is normal," she said.
"What this person said to me is not the worst IB次元官网网址檝e heard. ... Having colleagues and friends who have been supportive after this person said something hateful towards me publicly is what actually matters to me and what has honestly made me pretty emotional.
"That is what I am choosing to put my energy into, rather than a nameless individual on social media spewing hate."
'I've personally had two death threats'
Givens, a person of colour, has also experienced online abuse.
"IB次元官网网址檝e definitely experienced it in various ways as far as the name-calling and trolling ... you have to think what do these people want? They want your response, so if you respond, theyB次元官网网址檝e won."
The issue is much larger than people being rude or insulting online, she continued.
"It's this lack of civility that goes beyond a lack of civility. Words have gotten so violent," she said.
Locke agrees.
B次元官网网址淚 have personally had two death threats," she said.
"The whole attitude of the public has changed a great deal. B次元官网网址� (People feel) emboldened to say things that are completely inappropriate,B次元官网网址� she said, adding this isnB次元官网网址檛 just a local issue. B次元官网网址淔emale politicians right across the country B次元官网网址� I can tell you, women in politics are dealing with similar aggression.B次元官网网址�
Givens, an American herself, is concerned about such hate and threats escalating to violence.
B次元官网网址淐onservatives are are tapping into fear, and often, that fear turns into violence. Now, the target is women because men are afraid that women are getting power and influence, and theyB次元官网网址檝e been fed all these stories about how women should be subservient, whether itB次元官网网址檚 through religion or their ideas about whatB次元官网网址檚 traditional.B次元官网网址�
She fears, too, for a rise in attacks based on racial background B次元官网网址� or the appearance thereof, since many people make decisions on appearance alone.
B次元官网网址淚 worry more attacks, not just on women, but because immigration is such a huge topic. If youB次元官网网址檙e Asian or (from a) certain background, they say youB次元官网网址檙e an immigrant," she said.
"The idea that weB次元官网网址檙e demonizing immigrants for the housing crisis is just so frustrating. People are hurting because of inequality, not because of any benefits that are going to immigrants or to people of colour or anything like that."
'Our male allies need to call out bad behaviour'
So what's to be done?
Givens B次元官网网址� like Locke, Knight, Partridge and Cheung B次元官网网址� keeps a carefully curated social media presence and tries not to engage with online trolls and abusers, as that is exactly what many online trolls want.
Moving forward, Givens said everyone should be stepping up and speaking out B次元官网网址� and not just women.
B次元官网网址淪peak up! Speak up, say what you think. Women leaders B次元官网网址� every single leader who cares about democracy and the future of the world, itB次元官网网址檚 not just the U.S. or Canada or the U.K. B次元官网网址� every single country out there needs to have people who are shining a light and saying, B次元官网网址榊es, we believe in democracy, we believe people should have a voice,' and we also believe we need a media that is fair and is actually giving us the real news and that isnB次元官网网址檛 controlled by oligarchs, so we need to support independent media people who are doing the work on the ground.B次元官网网址�
She called on people elected to power to lead by example.
B次元官网网址淭he people who are in power need to step up. We need inclusive leaders,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his is a situation where our male allies need to call out bad behaviour.B次元官网网址�
Knight said she will continue to make the decisions she feels are right, online abuse or not.
"You just have to move on ... you have to make the right choices. Say I vote 'yes' to this B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檓 going to stand behind it, and if I vote something 'no,' (I) just have to say, 'This is what IB次元官网网址檓 doing for the community,' not these five people that are after me or being nasty."
With happening this Saturday (March 8), Locke stressed the need for everyone to band together against bad behaviour.
B次元官网网址淎s mayor of a city the size of Surrey, I just want to really emphasize to everyone the importance of kindness, of being respectful to other people B次元官网网址� not just in our community or just for today, but all the time. We all need to unite against bullying behaviour, and we all need to speak up about bullying behaviour when we see it.B次元官网网址�
