https://www.thenational.scot/news/26118015.holyrood-urged-act-toxic-culture-drop-women-msps/
'At the last election, 58 women were elected as parliamentarians, making up 45% of the 129 seats in Holyrood. But in 2026, that fell to 56 women taking up 43% of the seats available.
A report from Engender, Scotland’s feminist membership organisation, captured the experiences of female MSPs who stood down at the end of the last parliamentary term and what influenced their decision not to stand again.'
...
'Of the six MSPs who responded, three said that misogynistic abuse, including on social media, factored into their decision. Two also cited “threats to safety”.
One said that the Scottish Parliament had become “less family friendly with late sittings and changing business and times”, while another noted the lack of childcare on the parliamentary estate. The lack of recognition for those with caring responsibilities, such as young children or elderly relatives, was also noted in the report.
Another added that the Holyrood Chamber had become a “toxic bear pit with shouty men silencing women”.
“Some responding MSPs described having or needing to have ‘thick skin’ to deal with abuse on social media,” the report reads.'
'Noomi Anyanwu, Engender’s equal representation development officer, who authored the report, told The National following the latest election results: “A clear majority of women we spoke to described workloads that are incompatible with their lived realities, with expectations of near‑constant availability and little boundary between political and personal life.
...“Misogynistic abuse and even threats to safety are characteristics of the environment women and other underrepresented groups step into when becoming an MSP.
“Taken together, this points to a structural problem: unless the way the job is designed changes, we will continue to see women pushed out, not because they lack commitment, but because the system isn’t working for them.”
Anyanwu added that female MSPs raised “consistent concerns” not just about workload but about “parliamentary culture, abuse and misogyny, long and unpredictable hours, and the cumulative impact these have on wellbeing and retention”.
“Additionally, we need better reporting and monitoring to capture the reality of other underrepresented groups in politics, like Black and minority ethnic or disabled people, who face additional barriers to entering politics and heightened threats when it comes to public scrutiny,” she added.'
How are you reporting and monitoring women, Noomi?
What have you counted Iris Duane and Q Mannivan as?