MP hopeful, 22 in furious reply to sexist jibes
A 22-YEAR-OLD Labour Parliamentary candidate has reacted furiously after ‘disgusting’ messages were sent to her online – including offers of sex and comments on her chest size.
Councillor Emily Owen, who is running to be MP for Aberconwy in north Wales, said she was shocked by the flood of sexist posts on social media since she launched her campaign.
Miss Owen, who calls herself a ‘socialist, working class feminist and humanitarian’ put a message on her Facebook page saying: ‘Sexism is not OK.’
She wrote that men had asked her what ‘sexual acts I’m prepared to perform to get votes, what bra size I am, how many votes needed for me to strip’.
In one post, a man wrote: ‘I’ll only vote for her if she’s got a decent rack for me. Anyone know her size?’ Another posted: ‘How many votes for a striptease?’ Under a post entitled ‘Polite Reminder’, Miss Owen wrote: ‘This is the first time I’ve been under this level of public scrutiny and I have to say I’m shocked!
‘I’ve been debating ignoring it but this behaviour is disgusting and needs calling out! I highly doubt you’ll be asking the male candidates their penis size in order to make a decision about their politics.’
She told her local Daily Post newspaper: ‘I decided to say something on social media as sexism like this isn’t acceptable. It’s totally depressing this sort of thing is still going on in 2017.’
In a speech to Welsh Labour’s conference this year, Miss Owen said she was elected to Conwy council despite ‘zero political experience’. She calls herself a ‘trade union member and active community campaigner’.