Don't go alone - Chilling warning issued by support groups to women canvassing for elections

Women canvassing in upcoming elections have been issued new safety guidance to "avoid going alone or in the dark" and to canvass in pairs.

The chilling warning comes from support groups Women for Election and See Her Elected in conjunction with the Gardaí ahead of upcoming local and European elections on 7th June. Campaigning has already began for many candidates.

Other safety guidelines recommended to women on the campaign trail include travelling in pairs, never entering a person's residence, and having a code word to use with other canvassers in cases of emergency.

In the guidelines, the support groups pointed out that "woman candidates in particular may experience a disproportionate level of unacceptable behaviour, including online abuse and harassment".

The guidelines inform candidates and canvassers on how to navigate social media during their campaigning, as well as how to respond to dangerous phone calls and criminal attacks.

It comes amid rising concerns for politicians’ safety. Taoiseach Simon Harris has recently criticised people who protested outside the homes of politicians, saying that families and homes ‘should be out of bounds’, after demonstrations were held recently outside Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s home.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee recently had two bomb threats on her home, which caused her husband and young children to be evacuated late at night.