Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster has said that online abuse via social media platforms is the “biggest obstacle” facing women in public life.

Foster urged social media companies to take more responsibility for addressing abuse by anonymous users.

She told the BBC that there was “literally hourly trolling” about appearance, clothes, and haircuts, and that the abuse could be “really, really painful.”

Addressing the issue at the Women in Media conference in Belfast, the DUP leader said that when young women who want to get involved in politics “see the abuse that leaders are taking at present, who are female politicians, it's bound to have an impact on them wanting to get involved".

"What we need to see is social media companies taking more responsibility for the anonymity of these people so we can deal with these issues," said the first minister. "We all know that social media allows people to be anonymous and therefore that works in favour of those who want to attack."

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