OTTAWA — Green party Leader Elizabeth May says young political staffers on Parliament Hill are much more vulnerable to sexual harassment than older, more experienced colleagues and MPs.
May is making the observation following a new Canadian Press survey of female MPs that suggests the problem is as prevalent in the corridors of power in Ottawa as it is everywhere else.
Of the 38 MPs who took part in the survey, more than half — 58 per cent — said they had personally been the target of one or more forms of sexual misconduct while in office, including inappropriate or unwanted remarks, gestures or text messages of a sexual nature.
May says political staffers often lack job security, making them far less likely to speak up about their experiences — especially when the problem lies with someone who is in a position of authority.
In some ways, she adds, the life of a political staff member resembles Hollywood, where people are trying to get ahead in a hierarchy designed around "stars" and "star culture."
May says she was among those who took part in the survey, in which 47 per cent of respondents say they were the target of inappropriate social media comments, while 63 per cent say they don't believe the level of harassment in federal politics is any different than any other workplace.
