Sexism stops female politicians, says SNP

THE SNP has struggled to encourage women to stand at this year’s council elections because of “sexist abuse” hurled at public figures, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Scotland’s First Minister said she had experienced a number of comments about her appearance when she started in politics but added that she believes it is “worse today” because of the “culture – the very toxic culture – that, frankly, social media plays a big part in creating and sustaining”.

“People who will hurl sexist abuse at women in public life, they’ve always been there, but social media gives them direct access in a way that didn’t exist when I was much younger,” she said on ITV’S Good Morning Britain.

She added that, on social media, abusers “don’t have to come face to face with people”.