58 per cent say they have been the target of sexual misconduct while in office

Nearly 58 per cent of survey respondents said they had been the target while in office

There have long been obstacles in the path of women seeking to succeed in politics — and some female MPs are now coming forward to share their own experiences with sexually inappropriate behaviour, both on and off Parliament Hill.

The Canadian Press surveyed current female MPs of every political stripe last month to find out the extent to which they had been the targets of sexual harassment, assault or misconduct of all kinds, including during their time in office.

The responses make clear that political Ottawa — long a bastion of male-dominated power relationships — is no stranger to inappropriate behaviour against women, no matter their stature.

Of 89 current female members of Parliament, 38 chose to respond to the voluntary survey. Anonymity was promised to ensure MPs could share their experiences and opinions without fear of reprisal.

Nearly 58 per cent of respondents said they had been the target of one or more forms of sexual misconduct while in office, including inappropriate remarks, gestures or texts of a sexual nature. That includes three MPs who said they were victims of sexual assault and four who said they were the targets of sexual harassment. Nearly half of respondents said they were subjected to inappropriate comments on social media.

“It’s a particularly good moment for us to show leadership, to take advantage of the spotlight that we have on Parliament Hill, to affirm that sexual harassment can happen in any workplace, not only on the Hollywood casting couches,” said New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson, who said she opted to speak publicly out of a sense of responsibility.

Twenty-two MPs who said they experienced sexual misconduct in office chose to answer a question about the perpetrators, with five saying it came from an MP from her own party. Ten said it came from an MP in a different party.

The MPs surveyed were nonetheless hesitant to suggest they are worse off than anyone else.

“I think it’s part of something that is deeply in the male mentality, this sort of undermining of women’s capabilities and talents and always sexualizing just about everything,” said Quebec Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes.