Sexism in Scotland's toxic politics is still a blight on our democracy – Kristy Strickland

It’s not often that US politics brings relief in troubled times, but this week’s inauguration ceremony did exactly that.

Kamala Harris is sworn in as US Vice President in a powerful moment of change for American girls (Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP)

The reality TV fever dream of the last four years had finally come to an end and to mark the occasion viewers were treated to an eccentric display of star-spangled pomp.

Highlights included a spine-tingling performance by inaugural poet Amanda Gorman. Lada Gaga showed up with a gold microphone and a brooch the size of her head. J-Lo sang, trumpets tooted and attendees wore bejewelled facemasks. It was glorious.

One of the most poignant moments was a beaming Kamala Harris being sworn in as the first woman Vice President.

Keen to make sure that she wouldn’t miss the bit of history we were witnessing, I urged my daughter to pay attention. She gave a cursory glance at the screen before continuing her game. She’s six: it’s not surprising that she finds setting up her Hatchimals in their enchanted kingdom more interesting than coverage of a political event in a country she has never visited.

But for American girls – particularly, African-American and Asian-American girls – this was a powerful moment of change and one worth paying attention to.

Commenting on its significance, CNN journalist Jake Tapper pointed out that many other countries around the world have already shattered the high-office glass ceiling.

Monica Lennon has spoken of the 'hurtful' sexism within the Scottish Labour party (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

Scotland is one such country. Save for a brief few months when my daughter couldn’t yet support her head, she has only ever known women to be in charge. There was a time when the woman First Minister faced two women opposition leaders and when her Downing Street counterpart was also a woman.

It is two women, as Health Secretary and First Minister, who have led our response to the pandemic.

Job done then?

Scotland might have a gender-balanced Cabinet and women in top jobs, but women are still underrepresented in Holyrood and local government. There has never been a female Black or minority ethnic MSP.

And those who put themselves forward for prominent positions know that Scotland’s progressive ambitions don’t always match with reality.

This week, Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon spoke about her bid to become leader and the “hurtful” sexism within her party.

You would think that Scottish Labour members would be delighted that among their dwindling numbers they have a talented MSP who is willing to take on the challenge of re-connecting with the Scottish public before the Holyrood election.

Ahead of the May vote, a number of MSPs announced that they won’t be seeking re-election. Among them are a number of female MSPs, who have cited difficulties in balancing family life with politics – as well as online abuse – as factors in their decision.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman is one of those standing down and she has spoken before about the abuse that comes with being a woman in politics. “I think some of what happens in social media is particularly toxic. I think only women politicians are subject to comments about how they look, how they dress and what size they are. If you are clear in what you want to do, that means you are bossy or nippy, all sorts of adjectives that are never applied to men. It is deeply sad that it hasn’t changed much in 40-odd years I have been in politics.”

What has changed in the last 40 years is the nature of the beast. While we all remember particularly inglorious front pages, like The Sun’s depiction of Nicola Sturgeon in underwear on a wrecking ball or the Daily Mail’s infamous “Legs-it” portrayal of the First Minister and Theresa May, media sexism isn’t quite as bold as it once was.

The most overt sexism is seen online, as abuse, harassment and even threats towards women in politics have become the norm.

It is a symptom of a much wider problem. Political discourse has coarsened in recent years, particularly online. People – not anonymous trolls – punch out insults and abuse at their political opponents without thinking about the impact they will have on the person receiving them. We see ugly words adjacent to the author’s smiling profile photo and the disconnect between the two is jarring.

While this vitriol may be most often directed towards high-profile women, it also seeps downwards and creates a climate of hostility for other women.

We have seen this recently in the online commentary and ‘debate’ about the ongoing Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish government’s handling of complaints. An MSPs’ committee has been tasked with gathering evidence and reporting on the actions of the First Minister, Scottish government and special advisers in relation to complaints about Alex Salmond.

Amid claims that the First Minister misled parliament and the Scottish government has “obstructed” the committee’s investigation, the women who made the initial complaints have become targets for abuse. That they are entitled to anonymity doesn’t shield them from the online venom that has become an ongoing feature of this whole sorry saga.

Partisans may find comfort in pointing to the other ‘side’ and saying they treat women worse but in truth, sexism in politics is Scotland’s great unifier. No party has a monopoly on misogyny. Inconsistency in what they call out and what they let slide shows how little they care about it.

There are young women in Scotland today doing incredible work in their local communities. These campaigners and activists are politically engaged and full of energy and ideas. They could make a valuable contribution to Holyrood if they decided to pursue a career in politics. It is to our great detriment that many of them will look at Scotland's toxic political culture and decide it’s not worth the hassle.

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