Addressing Councillor-Perpetrated Sexual Violence in Local Governments: A Case Study of Ontario, Canada

Reports of councillors committing sexual violence are rampant worldwide. In this paper, we examine municipal codes of conduct that address sexual violence when perpetrated by an elected official in Ontario, Canada. Ontario requires all councils to adopt codes of conduct; it is therefore a global leader at responding to this problem. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collect and analyze all province-wide municipal codes and engage in an in-depth analysis of how the codes have been interpreted in three municipalities. The paper contributes to research on gendered political violence, revealing the need for standalone rules to address councillor-perpetrated sexual violence.