Maya Angelou wrote, “There is no greater agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.” Our report of women’s experiences of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination in the Labour party sought to give that voice to those untold stories.

In October, as the Harvey Weinstein story broke, a group of long-serving and disheartened Labour women were recounting their stories of harassment and misogyny in the party, and LabourToo was born.

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Many of us have spent years speaking about the need for the Labour party to break down barriers for women who want to succeed in public life. But again and again we’ve run into barriers along the way. Our experiences over decades point to a culture that tolerates the routine dismissal of women’s encounters with abuse, and gives little redress to victims seeking justice from mainly senior male perpetrators.

We decided to launch an online call for reports from Labour women – not with the aim of naming or shaming, but to try to show the ubiquitous nature of sexual harassment in the party we love. On Tuesday we submitted our report to the party, which contains 43 stories that broke our hearts. In one way, they are no different from the lived experience of many women in every workplace, membership club and family in the UK. But by taking place, as they do, in an institution that prides itself on a commitment to equality, respect, tolerance and justice, they make us wonder where the Labour party has gone wrong.

Women were convinced that they wouldn’t be believed or that the perpetrator had too many friends in high places

There were many similarities between the reports we received. A number of them recounted that men who were “handsy” or “inappropriate” were well-known by many Labour members, but that action was never taken. One woman was told: “Well that’s just how he is.” Women lacked faith in any of the formal complaints or resolution processes in the party, convinced that they wouldn’t be believed or that the perpetrator had too many friends in high places.

This is why our key call to action is for the party to introduce a truly independent complaints system, free of influence from national executive committee members who may be swayed to protect their friends and colleagues when allegations against them arise. We’re delighted that the women’s parliamentary Labour party has reached the same conclusion and supports us in our call.

The most disturbing aspect, however, was the clear abuse perpetrated by senior men in the party, both in elected positions and party staffers who took advantage of much younger women, including students and, in one report, a teenager. Those who are elected are placed in a heightened position of trust. They often meet with very vulnerable people on a one-to-one basis. It is deeply wrong to use that power to their own advantage, knowing that younger, less experienced women will feel unable to speak out.

Throughout our time in the party, though not in the reports themselves, we have heard about MPs, councillors and representatives at all levels who have recent records of domestic or sexual abuse, which is why we call for mandatory safeguarding checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for anyone who wishes to stand under Labour’s banner. We owe it to the public, as well as our party members, to live by the values that we want to promote.

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Our anonymity as a group has been repeatedly questioned on social media as the campaign has progressed, mostly by men. When we started we knew that people would seek to discredit us. Our aim was to amplify the message, not the messenger. Throughout history women who choose to speak up have been silenced, vilified and in some cases destroyed, as Mary Beard has written in Women & Power. The anonymity awarded to victims of sexual crimes is well supported in criminal justice settings, so it also should be recognised in political settings where a few people, mostly men, hold the keys to someone’s potential future.

We hope that our findings lead to a future where women in all political parties are free to play their democratic part in an environment that’s free of harassment and abuse, and where they are genuinely treated as the equals they are.

• LabourToo is an anonymous group of Labour women campaigning on sexual harassment, abuse and assault within the party