Consultancy: Intimidation of MPs by the Public

Instances of intimidation against parliamentarians by the public regularly make headline news. While this phenomenon appears to be part of a larger pattern of hostility towards figures of authority including teachers, police officers, and doctors, as well as other elected representatives and political office holders, including mayors and ministers, the case of parliamentarians stands out due to the visibility and consequential nature of their roles. Women parliamentarians face gender-based intimidation targeting them as women.

Parliamentarians are often caught in a storm of public anger and scepticism, partly fuelled by the ease with which toxic messages spread on social media. Every move MPs make is watched, judged, and sometimes met with anger.

The current atmosphere of intimidation in public life is not just unpleasant—it is harmful. It undermines the work of parliamentarians and chips away at the foundations of democracy. And yet, we do not have enough data and evidence on the prevalence, the forms and the spread of such intimidation. Concrete figures on how much parliamentarians as a specific group – and particular groups among them such as women parliamentarians, parliamentarians from minority populations, or parliamentarians with disabilities – are subject to intimidation by the public are only partly available.

For several years, the IPU has been concerned with the protection of parliamentarians and started collecting data with a particular focus on “state sponsored” violence against parliamentarians on the one hand, and on sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians on the other.

Indeed, since 1976, through its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CHRP), the IPU has examined more than a thousand cases in all parts of the world and established a solid track record in helping to provide redress and protection to parliamentarians who face state-sponsored violence. Today the situation for many MPs remains dangerous and the statistics for 2023 are telling. 762 parliamentarians in 47 countries had fallen victim to human rights violations, with threats and acts of intimidation featuring as the third most common violation. The figures also show that the best predictor for knowing if an MP will become a victim of abuse is whether he or she belongs to the opposition or defines him/herself as independent.

In addition to the work of the CHRP, the IPU has carried out several studies since 2016 that look at instances of violence against women MPs in parliaments. Based on the premise that women and men in politics are not targeted in the same way by the various forms of violence, this work focuses on female elected representatives and on the various manifestations of gender-based violence that may affect them because of their sex or gender, or that affect them disproportionately. It has not sought to compare women’s experiences with those of their male counterparts, while nevertheless recognizing that they may also be affected by this type of violence. While this work, based on interviews with female MPs, has revealed that their male parliamentary colleagues are the main perpetrators of the violence they face, it also highlighted the fact that members of the public are also perpetrators of violence targeting women parliamentarians, in particular online sexist attack, intimidation and threats. These studies have also served to identify existing measures taken by parliaments to address this phenomenon, as well as intersecting forms of violence faced by women MPs.

About the project

The IPU is looking to recruit a consultant to work on a research project to analyze the extent to which parliamentarians across the globe are facing intimidation by the public. The research project will involve the compilation of new and existing data, development of national case studies and the production of a report that analyses the data, draws out lessons learned and makes recommendations for addressing hostility against members of parliament by the public.

The analysis and related conclusions should focus on parliamentarians across several characteristics, such as man/woman, age, membership of a vulnerable minority group, prominent/backbencher MP, new/long-term MP, etc.

The consultant will work under the supervision of IPU’s Human Rights Programme Manager and in consultation with a range of stakeholders inside and outside the IPU.

Tasks

• Compile data on incidences of violence against parliamentarians by the public, through desk research into existing studies and reports as well as IPU’s own data.
• Develop a survey for parliaments to collect information on the legal framework and structures in place to protect parliamentarians against intimidation by the public.
• Contribute to the design of a survey of parliamentarians (to be carried out by another entity) which will gauge the levels of intimidation against individual parliamentarians across the world.
• Contribute to the setting up of an advisory board comprising academics and parliamentarians to guide the project. Organize meetings of the board.
• Research and draft national case studies on intimidation of parliamentarians in different regions of the world. including by travelling to identified countries to interview parliamentarians and other relevant stakeholders.
• Draft a report that presents and analyses the data collected, provides an overview of the situation, draws out lessons learned and makes recommendations.
• Contribute to the design of communications materials to disseminate the conclusions of the report.
• Contribute to other areas of IPU work, as required.

The work will involve close cooperation with a range of stakeholders, including:

• IPU staff (in particular from the teams working on human rights, gender, capacity-building and the resource centre)
• Parliaments, parliamentarians, and parliamentary staff
• Academic institutions working on issues related to violence against parliamentarians (or other figures of authority)
• Civil society organizations

Deliverables

High-level deliverables are set out below. Specific deliverables will be identified through the ongoing work-planning process. All deliverables are intended to contribute towards the overall objectives of helping to catalyse meaningful change in the ways in which parliaments engage the public in their work.

1. Workplan for the project on the intimidation of parliamentarians by the public

2. Regular summary reports and progress updates

3. Compilation of data gathered for the project

4. 3-5 national case studies

5. Report with a presentation of final data and analysis, lessons learnt and recommendations

6. Meetings of the advisory board (online)

Timing

The consultant shall be expected to complete up to a maximum of 110 days of work (based on a 7.5 hour day). The consultancy is initially for the period of 23 September 2024 to 31 March 2025. Subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds, the consultancy may be extended further into 2025.

Location

The consultant will work remotely. Some travel is likely to be required, for example when researching national case studies or to participate in IPU Assemblies.

Requirements

• Candidates for the consultancy need to be able to demonstrate:
• Advanced university degree in a relevant field (political and/or social sciences)
• Expertise in issues related to violence against public office holders, ideally parliamentarians. In some cases, relevant expertise in issues related to violence against other figures of authority may also be taken into account.
• Experience in having led complex research projects, ideally on topics closely related to the project at hand.
• Experience in mainstreaming a gender perspective in research work on violence.
• Sound knowledge of statistics.
• Good understanding of the work of parliamentarians and their interaction with the public.
• Excellent reading and writing skills in English. Ability to read and/or speak French and/or Spanish is highly desirable.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
• Excellent time management and attention to detail.