Social media may have democratised political engagement, but it has also weaponised misogyny. Women entering public life face online attacks that differ sharply from those directed at men, targeting their appearance, private lives and family roles rather than their ideas. Such abuse undermines women’s very presence in politics and discourages many from entering or staying in public life, writes our surprise guest Barbara Helfferich, political scientist, gender equality expert and co-founder of a Brussels-based feminist think tank.