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Violence & Harassment in Politics
Working Group

Be the Peace Institute & Collaborators through the Scaling the Summit Project

October 2024 - Ongoing

Women, gender non-binary, racially and culturally diverse people, and those living with disabilities, are regularly targeted by sexist and racist harassment, discrimination and sometimes threats or even violence, when they run for public office. This can dissuade them from running at all and puts them in danger when they do. This behaviour, both in-person and increasingly on-line can persist, even among colleagues, when in office. If we do not have diversity and safety in our elected offices, we are neither upholding human rights nor achieving democratic and representative governments.

The Violence & Harassment in Politics (VHIP) Working Group is focused on raising awareness about sexual harassment, misogyny and racism in the political process and strategies to address it before and during elections, as well as when serving in office. Efforts are also backed by recommendations from recent gender-based violence-related reports including:

  • The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2 Spirit People and calls to address the political marginalization and need for increased representation of Indigenous women and 2 Spirit people in governance and leadership positions including elected office.

  • The National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence which recognizes the need for training for legislative members and political staff.

This group is a part of the “Scaling the Summit” project coordinated by Be the Peace Institute and funded by the NS Status of Women Office. Funding was provided to follow up on strategic actions from the priority conversations that took place at the IWD Summit in March of 2024 (co-hosted by Be the Peace Institute and Leeside Society). That event included over 150 people with a stake in preventing and ending gender-based violence (GBV) across sectors in Nova Scotia. The aim was to explore moving forward in some new, innovative ways.

Since then, several working groups have developed on specific topics identified as priorities in the intersection of GBV prevention and response. These are open groups made up of diverse members from across community, government, academia, and survivors including from under-represented/under-served communities and organizations. To date, we have been busy engaging with over 100 individuals from across diverse organizations directly or indirectly involved in the prevention and response to GBV in Nova Scotia through these working groups.

The VHIP group was initiated by Municipal Councillor, Kacy DeLong, who attended the 2024 IWD Summit and convened a conversation called “She Should Run!” acknowledging the need for greater gender parity in all levels of government in NS. Since then the group has grown to 30 members, many of whom have been meeting regularly throughout the year to raise awareness about sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and racism in politics and develop and share strategies for public action.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the VHIP Working Group’s recent activities like:

  • A 3-part virtual panel series with diverse elected officials

  • 2 first voice online surveys on experiences of violence & harassment in politics

  • A 2-day conference at MSVU on violence & harassment for diverse women/gender non-binary people in leadership

Violence & Harassment in Politics 3-Part Panel Series

Opportune partnerships developed with Tracey Raney, author and professor from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and Peggy Nash, former MP and instructor, who co-teach “Women in the House”, a course at TMU. Together with NS-based elected officials, current and former, and community based advocates, the group hosted a 3-part political panel (see below) on how to address this democratic threat:

Panel 1: Political Representation: A History of Advocacy - Canada & Beyond
November 19th, 2024
Speakers: Tracey Raney, Courtney Clarke, (Equal Voice Canada), MP Leah Gazan

Panel 2: The NS Context - Diversity in Politics
December 3rd, 2024
Speakers: Mica Daurie (T.R.A.N.S.), Pam Lovelace (HRM Former Deputy Mayor), Professor and Elder Dr. Heidi Marshall, Kacy DeLong, (MODL Councillor), Senator Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard.

Panel 3: A Vision for Change: Calls to Action*
December 10th, 2024
Speakers: Joanne Hussey, Dr. Rebecca Major, MLA Elizabeth Smith McCrossin, Dr. Lynn Jones

[*this panel has had one of the panelists edited out due to a hacking incident for her security.]

Panelists included past and present elected officials from all levels of government, academics, authors, activists and some who had been deterred from running due to a rise in discrimination and harassment and a lack of support. Panelists shared their thoughts on how to address this ongoing democratic threat including that while this issue is not unique to Canada, our very foundations and our current electoral process are built on the wrongful dispossession of land and on patriarchy, colonialism and white supremacy. A rise in political violence and harassment toward certain populations is causing many to exit early or be discouraged from running at all putting our democratic processes at risk. Solutions included solidarity across movements – poverty and GBV rely on the same inequalities to keep them in place and power in numbers, sharing strategies and resources would benefit all. In Nova Scotia we have opportunity to join forces due to our smaller size affording more opportunity to hold elected officials accountable. Building counter movements of hope, being prepared with fact-based information to dispel right wing talking points, demystifying political systems and electoral processes, mentorship and financial support for diverse candidates and deeper legislative and policy reforms were among suggestions from experienced panelists.

For a complete list of recommendations and strategies generated across these panels, go to this link.

Online Surveys & Knowledge Sharing

The VHIP working group created and launched two online first voice surveys to collect experiences & stories of harassment in politics for women, gender non-binary and racially and culturally diverse people while they are campaigning, when they are in office or what dissuaded them from entering politics. The findings from the first survey informed a public awareness campaign & strategies for action on: sexism & misogyny; care responsibilities; and workplace safety. See more on the results below.

A second survey in partnership with the PEI Coalition for Women’s Leadership broadened to include all of Atlantic Canada and people who have run, are elected or are family, staff, volunteers and including those who have considered running but were dissuaded due to this climate of harassment and discrimination is being synthesized. Stay tuned for the results.

Special thanks to Immigrant Migrant Women’s Association of Halifax, Second Story Women’s Centre, South Shore Sexual Health, Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, and PEI Coalition for Women’s Leadership for their continued collaboration on this project.

To learn more about findings from our first survey —> click on the titles below.

Sexism & Misogyny

A two-day conference on violence and harassment in leadership - May 26 & 27, 2026:

Connecting for Action: Gender-Based Violence and Leadership in Nova Scotia

In partnership with the Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at MSVU, the Alexa McDonough Institute, Be the Peace Institute, the Violence & Harassment in Politics Working Group and the PEI Coalition for Women’s Leadership hosted a two-day conference on GBV in leadership across political, academic and advocacy spaces on May 26 & 27, 2026 at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Some of the topics we explored across the research and lived experiences connected to:

🔹 Harassment and violence in politics and leadership positions faced by women and gender-diverse leaders in academia and advocacy

🔹 Legislatures and council spaces as workplaces-- safety and systemic barriers

🔹Online abuse and the rise of misogynistic tech facilitated GBV

🔹The importance of mentorship, allyship, and community support

🔹How critical representation of diverse candidates and voices is to our democratic process

🔹 And the importance of mentorship, allyship, and community support


Check out:

🔹some media coverage from the event,

🔹our project page for more on this event and

🔹stay tuned for more takeaways and strategies for action!

Future collaborations and possible activities for the VHIP WG might include…

  • Formalizing and expanding our working group across the Atlantic provinces through the Atlantic Alliance for Inclusive Politics project

  • Report summary of survey findings

  • Publications of findings, recommendations and calls to action

  • Broadening our public engagement

  • Presentations to municipal government and related organizations on calls to action

Participation from the following organizations to date:

Transition House Association of NS
Can’t Buy My Silence
Trans/Non-Binary Rights Advocacy NS Second Story Women’s Centre
Harbour House
South Shore Sexual Health
We Worthy Women
la Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle Écosse
YWCA Halifax

Immigrant Migrant Women Association of Halifax
Association of Black Social Workers
Toronto Metropolitan University
MODL Municipal Councillors
Lunenburg County Pride
Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre
Nancy’s Chair, MSVU
Alexa McDonough Institute, MSVU
PEI Coalition for Women’s Leadership

To learn more or get in touch —> click here