Bridget Archer details sexist and personal abuse online, calls for whole-of-society attitude change

A public social media post last week suggested Ms Archer either condoned or was complicit in an alleged sexual assault in Parliament House because she had not publicly commented on the matter.

The post attracted more than 200 comments, including several that used sexist language and personal insults.

Ms Archer said that Parliament House and politics generally were still a "challenging environment for women", but that the issue was not confined to either side of politics.

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Since becoming the Member for Bass in 2019, Ms Archer said the abuse directed at her on social media had been one of the most difficult things to come to terms with.

"I found the post quite shocking and maybe ironically it invited people to blame me as a woman and as a sexual assault survivor for the behaviour of an alleged rapist," she said.

"I have actually found one of the most confronting things about being a woman in politics is the personal nature of the political attacks and commentary such as this post.

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"That's before we got to the commentary about my appearance, what I wear and my role as a mother which I've heard since being elected to local government and persists."

Following her decision to abstain from the vote on the cashless debit card late last year, Ms Archer faced significant backlash online.

While engagement was to be expected on a contentious issue, her Facebook page and Messenger account received messages of gender-based insults and extreme language.

Ms Archer has spoken in Parliament about her own experience of sexual assault, and responded in the comments on the post that violence against women was a whole of society issue.

She said it was up to everyone to change attitudes.

"This is a problem that exists across the political divide because it is a problem that is entrenched in society," Ms Archer said.

"It has been sickening to me to see these issues being used politically these past few weeks, they are important issues and should start a conversation for change across the political spectrum but should also galvanise action more widely not weaponised for perceived political gain."