Jess Phillips Reveals The Extent Of Trolling As Even More Women Are Forced Offline

Jess Phillips Reveals The Extent Of Trolling As Even More Women Are Forced Offline
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Labour MP Jess Phillips has revealed that five women have told her they will stop posting their views online because of the "vitriol, sexism and misogyny they face every time they speak".

In her blog 'Shut Up Bitch - Get Back To Ironing Your Husband's Socks', published on the Huffington Post UK on Thursday, Phillips gives a disturbing insight into the extent that women are being "silenced" online.

Her comments come as Yvette Cooper calls for women to "reclaim the internet" amid increasing levels of "persistent, co-ordinated abuse" directed against women.

Phillips writes: "In the last couple of weeks I have spoken to five different young women who told me they were going to stop posting blogs and tweeting about their politics and their views.

"Each one of them contacted me for support and advice about how to deal with the vitriol, sexism and misogyny they face every time they speak.

"The very first thing I said to every one of them was 'don't stop, whatever you do, don't let it silence you'."

Her comments echo those of Cooper, who called for a sea change in views on the trolling of women similar to the debate around domestic violence 30 years ago.

Cooper said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The real concern is is that young women in particular end up feeling they have to censor themselves on social media because of the abuse they are going to get."

This abuse is "effectively a form of stalking or harassment", said Cooper.

The high-profile women who have been targeted online

Famous Women Who Were Trolled Online
Sue Perkins (01 of09)
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The comedian and 'Bake Off' presenter quit Twitter after she was threatened on the social network.
Perkins said she had been forced off the site by trolls. She tweeted: "Someone suggested they'd like to see me burn to death."
The torrent of abuse came after a rumour was circulated that Perkins would be replacing Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.
(credit:Ian West/PA Wire)
Stella Creasy(02 of09)
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Stella Creasy was sent picture of dead babies and "vile comments" after she voted in favour of launching airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria.

The Labour MP was one of many trolled online following the vote in the House of Commons at the beginning of December.

Her Wikipedia page was edited by critics, and one user said that pictures of dead children sent to Creasy were "Previews of murders u have ordered" [sic] while another tweeted: "Shame on you."

Creasy's constituency office was also targeted by abusive phone calls.

The MP tweeted: "For christs sake - I want to listen to debate in chamber but people ringing my office abusing my staff so dipping out to check ok."
(credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Abby Tomlinson(03 of09)
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The teenager credited with spawning the Milifandom movement ahead of this year's General Election campaign was mercilessly trolled on Twitter - just because she had an opinion.

After 17-year-old Abby Tomlinson announced that her preference for Labour leader was Andy Burnham, she was the focus of cruel comments from those on social media.

Many of the commenters referenced her age and appearance.
Charlotte Proudman(04 of09)
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When barrister Charlotte Proudman posted on Twitter a "sexist" email she received from another lawyer from LinkedIn, no-one would have predicted the attention it would receive.

Proudman, who was labelled a "feminazi" by the Daily Mail's Sarah Vine, was sent a torrent of abuse on social media, with many commenting on her appearance and hinting that she had ruined her career by speaking out.
(credit:Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Zelda Williams(05 of09)
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In the wake of Robin Williams' death, his daughter left Twitter after she was bombarded with harrowing messages about her father.

The 26-year-old was not only the recipient of hurtful comments, she was sent Photoshopped images which supposedly showed her father after his death.

She publicly called for the users sending her the abuse to be reported, adding: "I’m shaking. I can’t. Please. Twitter requires a link and I won’t open it. Don’t either. Please."
(credit:Dennis Van Tine/ABACA USA)
Jess Phillips(06 of09)
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The Labour MP is backing the 'reclaim the internet' campaign, fronted by Yvette Cooper.

Phillips has repeatedly spoken out about the abuse she has received online.

In a blog published on the Huffington Post UK, titled 'Shut Up Bitch - Get Back to Ironing Your Husband's Socks', Phillips describes the attempts she has seen to silence women online .

She wrote: "More than the violent, threatening and blatant misogyny, the worst element of this is the 'shut up' bit.

"The 'shut up bitch' is working. Women are shutting up.

"Not because they are scared, not because they believe the threats but because it is so tiring that whenever you speak you face hatred because of the make up of your chromosomes."
(credit:Rui Vieira/PA Archive)
Sara Payne(07 of09)
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Sara Payne, the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne, closed her social media account after reportedly enduring years of "unrelenting" harassment.

Her friend Shy Keenan tweeted that Payne had been "forced to close down her Twitter account" by trolls.

The grieving mother had suffered "10 years of stalking and harassment" across various social media sites.
(credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
Sinead O'Connor (08 of09)
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The singer announced in 2011 that she was leaving Twitter because she was "getting too much abuse" after her followers took her posts about sex "too seriously".
(credit:Stefania D'Alessandro via Getty Images)
Lily James(09 of09)
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The Downton Abbey actress said that fans of the series had sent her tweets saying she was the "Tulisa of Downton".

She said: "I got loads of nasty tweets when I started on the show."
(credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters)