Online abuse follows women beyond politics: Rakuita

Online abuse does not stop when women leave politics and, in some cases, the attacks can become worse, says Pacific Community Principal Strategic Lead for Pacific Women and former Minister for Women Mereseini Rakuita.

Ms Rakuita said she experienced her biggest social media attacks after leaving political office, with people questioning why she had left politics.

Speaking at a Suva workshop on women’s political participation and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, Ms Rakuita said women in public life faced attacks on their appearance, qualifications and political views.

“I got the biggest attack when I left office,” she said.

“After I stopped being a politician, that’s when social media went to talk with me … why I was leaving politics.”

She said the abuse could follow women even after they moved away from politics.

“If I post something now, ‘Who are you to speak on that issue? Your party never did anything.’ It’ll follow you. You still get attacked for it, no matter where you go,” she said.

Ms Rakuita said this was a major barrier for women considering entering politics.

“That's a huge barrier for women to even put the hand up,” she said.

She said technology-facilitated gender-based violence was another form of violence women had to deal with when entering and remaining in public life.

“Women candidates needed support and practical solutions to deal with online abuse.”

Ms Rakuita said technology could also provide solutions to a problem that could take generations to address through social change alone.

“Social change takes generations. It takes a lot of intensive work. Technology, technological solutions, can provide solutions we can start using immediately,” she said.

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