NINE in 10 women councillors in Scotland have experienced sexism, misogyny or gender-based violence in the course of their work, a new report has found.
The Engender report entitled Part of the Job?': Women councillors' experiences of sexism, misogyny and gender-based violence in Scottish Councils, exposes the endemic scale of violence against women in local government.
It found one in four councillors had experienced sexual harassment and more than one in 10 had been victims of physical violence.
While many instances of violence stemmed from the public, fellow councillors were identified as the most common perpetrators.
A whopping 77% said they had experienced cyberviolence, including online abuse and threats, while 64% had endured psychological violence, including threats and character assassination.
Meanwhile, the report indicated microaggressions like sexist snubs and insults are commonplace, with 98% of female councillors experiencing them.
The research has been led by Dr Leah McCabe and Professor Meryl Kenny from the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Engender and is the first of its kind to focus specifically on women councillors in Scotland.
Almost three-quarters of female councillors (72%) had experienced at least three different forms of violence. All minority ethnic, lesbian and bisexual respondents, and almost all (89%) of those under 55, had experienced at least three forms.
Despite the clear scale of the problem, the report found underreporting is widespread with 81% of those who experienced sexual harassment not reporting it.
Catherine Murphy, executive director of Engender, said: "This research lays bare what too many women in Scottish local politics have long known: that sexism, misogyny and gender-based violence are part of the everyday reality of being a woman councillor.
"That is completely unacceptable. Local councils make decisions that shape all of our lives, and women's voices at that table are vital."
The research reveals how incidents of violence are directly undermining women's participation in local democracy.
Almost half (48%) of respondents said their experiences had caused them to become less vocal and a fifth said they had been excluded from decision-making.
Nearly a third (30%) said they would not recommend being a councillor to other women, rising to 45% among those under the age of 55.
Engender reported how women councillors described cancelling constituent surgeries due to safety concerns, withdrawing from social media, and attending council meetings online to avoid in-person contact with perpetrators.
Three respondents had quit their posts entirely due to the abuse they experienced, and a further 18% had decided not to stand for office again.
With Scotland's local council elections due in 2027, Engender is calling for urgent and comprehensive action across government, councils, political parties and regulatory bodies.
Engender has principally called on the Scottish Government to commission an independent review into the safety of women councillors in Scotland which would examine reporting procedures, anonymous complaint mechanisms, protection from retaliation, and whether a dedicated independent body is needed to handle complaints of gender-based violence against politicians.
Other recommendations include mandatory training on violence against women for all elected members and a requirement that councils introduce standing orders explicitly prohibiting violence against women in politics.
Murphy added: "We cannot afford to lose women from local politics, or to deter others from entering, because we have failed to take this seriously. With elections on the horizon, the time for urgent, systematic action is now."
