Death threats, sexual harassment, sexism — female politicians in Peel, Halton speak out

Brampton city councillor Rowena Santos said she has faced sexist treatment and serious threats to her physical safety during her time in office.

And according to several female politicians contacted in Peel and Halton regions — many seeking re-election in the Oct.

26 municipal election — her experience is neither unique nor an aberration.

“A couple of people threatened me and said that I deserve to be raped and killed,” said Santos, one of two female councillors on Brampton council.

The first Filipino person elected to Brampton council, she said her identity has also been a target of criticism.

In one instance, a woman baselessly claimed that Santos’ Filipino background meant she was submissive to men and that her electoral success was the result of “sleeping her way to the top.” 2026 numbers from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) show that women account for 32 per cent of municipal candidates (2,103 of 6,663), up from 31 per cent (1,931 of 6,306) in 2022.

This represents an increase of 172 female candidates, continuing an incremental rise in women’s representation on the ballot.

However, that increase has not necessarily translated into a more welcoming environment for all women.

Harassment widespread but different for women While data from the 2025 Canadian Municipal Barometer shows that harassment is a widespread issue among elected officials, affecting 63 per cent of the 1,633 local politicians surveyed, the ways in which it manifests for women can be different in nature.

“When you look at the harassment and violence that’s directed to women and racialized candidates, violence tends to focus, not on who they are as politicians, but who they are as people,” said Dr.

Erin Tolley, the Canada Research Chair in Gender, Race, and Inclusive Politics and associate professor in the department of political science at Carleton University, in an interview.

“It’s more likely to pinpoint their identities either as women or racialized or both.” ‘People show up at my house’: Caledon Mayor Annette Groves Annette Groves, the mayor of Caledon who is not seeking re-election, said “some of the terms that people use on social media, the names they call us, they’re certainly not going to use the same description … or term for a male politician.

“I find people show up at my house.

I don’t think you’d be showing up at a male person’s house.