Online abuse drives young women out of Swiss politics, study finds

A University of Basel study has found that young women in Swiss politics are more likely to face gender-based attacks and that this often drives them out of the political arena. According to the study, young politicians in Switzerland face online abuse at similar rates. But the nature of the hostility varies sharply depending on whether the target is a woman or a man. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Women are far more likely to face attacks linked to their gender, the University of Basel explained on Monday. These often include sexist or sexualised comments, as well as derogatory remarks about their looks or political skills. This type of abuse has a particularly strong impact on women’s motivation to stay in politics, according to a University of Basel survey of Swiss youth party members. Young women were far more likely than men to say that personal experiences of online hate had hindered their political work or even pushed them to quit altogether.