Halton's female politicians pledge support for each other, rally for change in face of abuse

Many women involved in political life in Halton, at all levels, say they have experienced similar incidents of harassment, abuse, misogyny, and lies against them. On Thursday afternoon, the Halton Elected Representatives (H.E.R.) released a statement pledging to support women in office and rally for change. 

The pledge, signed by current representatives from all corners of the region, comes after Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff’s May 1 announcement that she will not seek re-election due to ongoing harassment. 

“Discussion around putting a statement together like this arose from our H.E.R. Halton coffee meeting in November,” Burlington mayor Marianne Meed Ward said. “I convene Halton elected representatives, who are women, twice a year to talk about what it’s like to be an elected official, support each other, talk about challenges, and share a laugh.”

Though the idea for the pledge was sparked prior to Damoff’s announcement, the news did put more urgency into the group to get the notice out to the public. 

Each of the members of H.E.R had their own stories similar to Damoff’s. 

“In my own situation, people have picketed outside my house during COVID, I’ve had police advise me on security measures, I’ve had people threaten to arrest me,” Meed Ward said. 

The H.E.R. pledge consists of four areas: to support one another and call out harassment, to call on allies to stand with and support women in office, to call on elected officials to uphold the highest standards of conduct, and call on the relevant authorities to ensure the protection of individuals who speak out against abuse.

Meed Ward added it’s important not just for the members of H.E.R. or elected representatives to speak up, but members of the public as well. 

“We’ll be leading by example, speaking up when we see it, and calling on our allies and really everyone in the community to foster respectful debate and dialogue,” she said. “That’s better for democracy, in fact our democracy depends on the ability to be able to discuss difficult issues, hear from different perspectives, and to come to solutions together.”

Damoff still has a few years left in her term as MP, but will not be putting her name on the ballot in the next federal election. 

Damoff told BurlingtonToday in a previous interview that there has been a change in tone since COVID, both from the public and in parliament. The amount of calls that qualify as harassment has skyrocketed. 

“We have to hang up on some people, and the amount that we get now is through the roof compared to the first four years,” Damoff said. 

Damoff added she’s incredibly proud of the work she has done in the last nine years, and knows she has more to get done before she leaves politics.