Online Abuse in Politics: How Areto Created Safer Digital Spaces for Two Women Mayors

Online abuse is reshaping who feels able to participate in public life

This report reveals a clear pattern across two mayoral campaigns: women in public office are being targeted with overwhelming levels of identity‑based abuse, unrelated to their policies or actions. As the report states, “The abuse directed at them is not a response to anything they have said or done. It is a response to who they are.”

That abuse doesn’t just harm candidates. It:

• burns out staff

• silences supportive constituents

• distorts the public square until only the most hostile voices remain.

The result is a democratic system where fewer people feel safe to show up, speak, or run.

The report also shows what changes when that harm is removed in real time: safer digital spaces, restored engagement, and hundreds of hours of capacity returned to campaign teams.

This is not only a story about two mayors. It’s a warning about the cost of doing nothing—and a demonstration of what’s possible when we protect participation instead of leaving it to chance.