'Attacked no matter what they do': why female politicians face relentless cycle of abuse
‘Attacked no matter what they do’: why female politicians face relentless cycle of abuse
Assault on Mexican president highlights abuse faced by women in politics and ‘reinforces patriarchal boundaries’
Ashifa Kassam, European Community affairs correspondent
Wed 12 Nov 2025 04.00 EST
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The brief and deeply unsettling encounter lasted just a few seconds, sparking outrage across Mexico and beyond. But for those who have spent years tracking women in politics, the incident in which a drunken man attempted to kiss Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on the neck and grope her was shocking but not entirely surprising. “It’s definitely part of a pattern,” said Zeina Hilal, of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the global organisation of national parliaments. “It’s really an illustration of what women in politics are facing.”
In 2016, the organisation surveyed 55 female politicians from 39 countries about their experiences of sexism, harassment and violence. What they found was alarming; 82% reported experiencing psychological violence, a category that included sexist remarks as well as persistent and intimidating behaviour, while 44% reported receiving death threats or threats of rape or beatings. One in five of the women said they had been slapped, pushed, struck or hit with a projectile that could have injured them. The organisation has since spoken to hundreds of female politicians in regions across the world. While the job titles and positions varied slightly, their experiences were depressingly similar.
“This violence is targeting women because they are women,” said Hilal, who manages the gender and youth programmes for the Geneva-based organisation. “It targets their bodies, it targets what society associates them with – so children, their physical characteristics.” She described the attacks as an attempt to question the role of women in leadership, an effort that at times was linked to a more formal push back against gender equality. “You have people who would do these things without this being their direct objective. They’re annoyed by these women who have power and the way in which women are present,” she said. “But there are definitely movements that exist, they are funded and know what they are doing. They even coordinate attacks online with bots and with people paid to carry out these attacks.” Among the women surveyed, the frequency of this violence varied; younger women, those from minority backgrounds or who have a strong stance on gender equality or human rights reported disproportionately higher rates of abuse. The findings dovetail with the steady stream of female politicians – spanning the UK to Canada and beyond – who have opted to leave politics, citing the toll that the increasing threats and harassment were taking on them and their families.
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“It’s the kinds of comments that really make them question why they are in politics and undermine their ability to do their job,” said De Angelis. “So if we don’t take action both online and offline, it really will risk the ability to have more equal and inclusive parliaments.” Despite nearly a decade of reports and the steady succession of warnings from departing politicians, some continue to brush off the violence, said Hilal. “There are people who say, ‘you want to be a politician, you need to take it.’” This is a view that threatens to erode the very fabric of democracy, walling off politics for some and pushing away others. “Ultimately, political institutions are workplaces as well, where women and men work,” she said. “So if you wouldn’t accept it in other workplaces, why would it be acceptable in political institutions?”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/12/female-politicians-such-as-mexicos-claudia-sheinbaum-face-backlash-driven-by-discrimination