Trolling is a major barrier for women considering politics, heard at conference

.

For women, becoming a municipal politician in Ontario means dealing with social media trolls, a panel discussion was heard at the Ontario Association of Municipalities conference on Monday.

.

“I want to spend my time developing good policies, not fighting internet trolls. It’s frustrating and exhausting”, Peterborough Earl. Kemi Akapo spoke at a panel discussion on women’s networks at the annual conference, which takes place in Ottawa.

Akapo described constant “microaggressions” and a focus on her body, something her male colleagues do not experience.

“I talk to my male counterparts and they say, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ ”

She was among the elected municipal women politicians who spoke out about having to deal with harassment and toxicity online and elsewhere.

Mississippi Mills Mayor Christa Lowry said she was recently the target of a social media trolling attack because of her appearance, as well as suggestions that she had photoshopped an image and must have low self-esteem.

.

She said she “responded” to the troll, which was a difficult thing to do. “I knew I would be highlighting it, but it was empowering,” she said. Lowry said she received wide support from people who congratulated her on standing up to a stalker. She said it’s important to report that kind of harassment when it happens.

“We have to accept that there will be criticism of our decisions, of our political ideas, but the appearance of someone’s body or the color of their skin, that has nothing to do with their work and should not be accepted. We shouldn’t accept it in politics or anywhere else.”

At a time when there is a concerted push for more diversity on city councils with an election just months away, social media represents a major barrier preventing some women, especially women of color, from running, it was heard. in the conference.

.

In Ontario, 29.4% of elected municipal officials are women. The composition of Ottawa’s current council is similar, with seven women and Catherine McKenney, who uses the pronouns they/they, on the 24-person council. McKenney, who currently serves as a councilor for the Somerset district, is among two non-male candidates running for mayor of Ottawa in the Oct. 24 municipal election.

Sen. Bernadette Clement, who became Ontario’s first black female mayor when she was elected mayor of Cornwall in 2018 (and was later appointed to the Senate), said she wonders if she would have run for municipal office in the current climate.

“When I first raced in 2006 it wasn’t a concern, but now it is. We are all victims of toxicity in the political space, but women in particular get a lot of comments about our appearance. That is particularly painful and annoying. I think women in leadership roles get more criticism than their fair share.”

.

Clement said it would be a shame if it discouraged more women from seeking office. She said she had to be convinced to run for city politics because she didn’t see anyone who looked like her in that role. She is now proud to see her portrait alongside the dozens of white mayors who came before her. Clement spends much of her time advising and encouraging people to run for office.

“For me, it continues to be very important to make sure that women, young people and diverse people run for public office. I try to talk to people about how good it can come from running for office.”

Akapo said that when he first ran for the council, he knocked on the door of a black family. He told the young daughter that she opened the door that she was running for council. “Can you do that?” the girl asked. Akapo said that he has kept in touch with the girl.

“She’s the reason I’m doing this.”