I was threatened with being set alight - politicians should be challenged, but abuse of women is unacceptable

11 March 2025, 17:08 | Updated: 11 March 2025, 19:00

Women continue to face barriers in both professional and social environments. But International Woman’s Day, which we’ve just celebrated, is a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the work still to do.

But while I am proud to stand with this group of women who fight to protect our rights, champion equality, and empower others to do the same, there’s no question that doing so has exposed me and many other women to attacks, abuse and even physical threats.

All politicians receive a certain amount of opposition and vigorous disagreement – and it’s right that they should. Ideas should be challenged and debated.

I’m not talking about that, though. This is about attempts to close down debate, to silence politicians, to remove platforms, and to intimidate.

And it does not merely disproportionately affect women. It is, in many instances, directed at them as women.

From the moment I got elected, it was abuse, abuse, abuse. I don’t know whether it was because I’m a Scottish Conservative, or a lesbian, or a woman, but a good deal of it was vile.

It’s changed in character over the years, but it stifles your own engagement with social media. It certainly made me wary about what I put up. And you’re continually thinking about how it might be used against you.

I’m doing a job that I love, but it’s a part of it that no one should have to put up with.

The anonymity of social media means that people feel free of any consequences. I get some people who will always come back with insults, no matter what it is I’ve posted. When you get abuse hurled at you in the street – and I do – at least they’re in front of you and you can answer back.

When women receive abuse, especially online or on social media, it frequently takes the form of rape threats, death threats or threats of violence.

I received a particularly graphic online threat of the last of those – one that said if I set foot in my own hometown of Springburn, I’d be “set alight”.

This goes beyond the heckling or even the vulgar insults that are kind of unavoidable in politics. A couple of times I have even had to involve the police, and I have had security measures installed around my home.

I’ve been followed around Tesco, with people then posting on what I’ve bought. That’s pretty intimidating, and frankly pretty bizarre behaviour as well. What do they think that’s achieving?

Male MSPs get plenty of abuse as well, but there have been studies that show that the comments directed at women are likely to be more severe, belittling and misogynistic. For that reason, I’ve largely given up looking at comments.

It’s not fair that I, and my staff and family, should ever have had to put up with it, and I’m sure that this kind of harassment puts a lot of women off putting themselves up for election.

But I want to continue pushing for the rights of women and girls, and standing up against this kind of unacceptable behaviour.

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Annie Wells is a Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament.

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