How Jenna Schroeder took a stand against misogynistic comments on social media
It’s a simple photograph of a popular community advocate and her dog but it’s making waves on social media, with the attitude of some men under the microscope.
Gold Coast
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Jenna Schroeder is a well liked and highly respected community advocate.
She manages the popular Labrador 4215 Facebook group, which has 10,000 members.
She was runner-up in Division 7 in council elections in March.
On Tuesday Ms Schroeder took part in a training session on ‘Social Media Self Defence’, part of a ‘Pathway to Politics for Women’ course. It was timely.
Just the day before she had called out a nasty, misogynistic comment on social media.
She had posted a selfie of herself and rescue dog Ruby to celebrate International Dog Day, inviting friends to post pictures of their doggos.
It was a beautiful picture – as were the roughly 80 pictures of pets and their owners posted in comments.
But amid the positive and happy vibes – and God knows that’s something we need more of – came a nasty and deeply misogynistic remark from a local man: “Is that the dog on the left or right?”
Ms Schroeder decided to meet the comment head on, calling it out for what it is in a subsequent post headlined ‘Why don’t more women run for politics?’
She told this column that while her experience running social media accounts had given her a thick skin, not everyone would, and it was important the cowardly keyboard warriors knew what they did was unacceptable.
“I wonder if he would say that to a man? I highly doubt that he would have commented on any men’s social media,” she said.
“All these things add up. It’s that smaller, day to day, cultural treatment of women in our society. If that’s not called out and if that toxic behaviour is allowed to continue, then people accept it.
“I should not be accepting some of these toxic comments on social media and not call it out, because it all adds up and people think that’s acceptable behaviour if it’s not (called out).”
The good news is that many people have since reached out in support of Ms Schroeder and to condemn the comments. Among those to reach out were men.
“Absolutely disgraceful. Jenna you are a shining star in the community, thank you for everything you do,” one man wrote.
The bad news is that the incident was just one more example of on ongoing problem.
“I did have a comment from a candidate in the state election saying she’s sorry to see that and she’s been dealing with it as well,” Ms Schroeder said.
There is little question but that women get a much harder time on this front than men. It happens in journalism too – in my 30 years in this business I don’t think anyone has ever made a nasty comment about my appearance. Female colleagues doing similar work would have a very different story to tell.
The concern is this kind of trolling, which can be as relentless as it is wantonly nasty, may turn some women off putting their heads above the parapet to represent their communities.
“It certainly comes into it. I think I have a pretty thick skin for social media comments because most of my career I’ve been managing social media accounts. Probably half of my life I’ve been dealing with that sort of thing,” Ms Schroeder said.
“I don’t think any comments online have ever gotten to me or upset me because I have been so used to it. But if you’re coming into it fresh, and you don’t have that, and you don’t have that social media experience I can see why it would be a factor in not wanting to run.
“I know some women who are doing the pathway to politics course at the moment, who were elected in March, and they just don’t have pages because they don’t want to deal with it.”
The issue has been raised before, including by Victorian MP Georgie Purcell, who on International Women’s Day last year spoke about how she had been called a “brain dead bimbo”, “scrag” and “tatted up trash bag”.
Astonishingly, she said the insults were on the softer end of the cruel and severe things said to her since entering politics.
“Today at parliament, on International Women’s Day, I’m putting a face to online gendered violence,” she said in a social media post.
“I’m showing a health and safety issue that impacts all women politicians, a burden shared across party lines.
“I’m highlighting those words that I receive each and every day and that I drag with me like weights on the worst days.
“Maybe it will make just one of those who send these messages reconsider. Because all women deserve so much better – no matter who we are or what we do for work.”
She is of course right. As was Ms Schroeder in calling out the abuse she received this week.
Unquestionably, we are all worse off if talented and hardworking women are discouraged from representing their communities because they know it will make them a target for vile abuse.
Ms Schroeder has set a good example for all of us this week, men especially.
There is too much misogyny evident in comments both on and off online.
It’s incumbent on all of us to call it out.
CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
Speaking of women in politics putting their head above the parapet, Southport councillor Brooke Patterson showed some gumption calling a town-hall meeting about the controversial rates rise affecting high rise unit owners last week.
People are angry and it was always going to be a tough crowd.
It appears not many left the meeting happy with what they heard.
However Ms Patterson told your columnist that she had been heartened by messages of support from people grateful to her for the opportunity the Town Hall offered them to express their views – including one person who left a bouquet of flowers for her at her office the next day to say thanks.
That was good to hear. Although we may disagree vociferously on issues, doing so respectfully is vitally important.
Originally published as How Jenna Schroeder took a stand against misogynistic comments on social media
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