CHARLOTTETOWN — A report from the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government has found that two-thirds of female and gender-diverse provincial election candidates interviewed faced some form of online harassment.

The survey and set of interviews conducted with 15 women and gender-diverse candidates from the 2023 campaign found that a majority experienced what the authors call “technology facilitated violence” during the course of their campaign.

The report found patterns in the type of online harassment that these women faced, which included name-calling and even threats of physical violence.

One candidate reported being told to “consider focusing on your family” instead of running for office.

The coalition says this survey is an important starting point for analyzing the impact of gender-based online harassment as a barrier to women’s participation in politics.

In 2023, 20 men and seven women were elected to P.E.I.’s legislature.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2024.

The Canadian Press