Are Politicians Too Soft, Or Has Public Debate Turned Toxic?(With Sen. Sharon Keogan) Episode 806

In this episode, Niall is joined by Senator Sharon Keogan and Karl Deeter to discuss a new Women for Election report which claims women in Irish politics are facing widespread online abuse, sexualised harassment and threats of violence.

The report, titled Recognize, Resist, Rise Up, was part of a five country European study on gender based violence against women in politics. It found that 96% of female TDs and Senators surveyed said they had experienced online violence, 88% reported psychological violence, 71% said they had received threats targeting themselves or people close to them, 63% reported sexualised violence and 42% reported physical violence or threats involving specific weapons. The research also found that many women had changed how they use social media, with some avoiding comment sections, delegating accounts to staff or reducing their online presence altogether.

Niall asks whether these figures reflect a serious and growing threat to democracy, or whether the definition of online violence has become too broad. All threats of violence should be condemned without hesitation, but do people believe that 96% of women in politics have genuinely been threatened, or is there a difference between abuse, insults, harassment and credible threats?

Some will argue that online abuse has become an ugly part of modern politics, and that anyone who enters public life needs to develop a thick skin. Others will say that threats, sexualised abuse and intimidation are not part of the job, and that no politician, male or female, should be expected to tolerate it.

Niall and Senator Keogan discuss whether public representatives are now expected to absorb abuse as the price of speaking out, whether social media has made politics more hostile, and whether the problem is especially severe for women in public life.

If you were a politician, would you accept verbal abuse as part of the job, or has public debate crossed a dangerous line?