The United Kingdom and Australia plan to convene a Commonwealth forum in 2027 to develop practical responses to online abuse of lawmakers, which the governments say can discourage people from seeking office.
In a joint statement published Nov. 3, the governments said women parliamentarians in the UK and Australia were three times more likely than male lawmakers to report sexualized or gender-based threats, whether online or in person. The statement put the Commonwealth-wide total above 6,000 women parliamentarians, distributed among 180 state and federal parliaments.
The governments said hostility directed at elected representatives and their families has discouraged some people from seeking office. They said governments, technology companies and other groups all have a role in making online spaces safer and enabling people to take part in civic discussion.
The UK and Australia intend to work with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and other Commonwealth countries. The forum will draw on technology and expertise to develop practical responses, the statement said. It also welcomed software tools being tested in legislatures and elsewhere.
The announcement came during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. The Commonwealth Secretariat lists the gathering as running through Nov. 4. EconoTimes has also covered other bilateral talks at the summit. The first forum is planned for 2027.
