Incidents of ‘discrimination’, ‘bullying’ and ‘sexual assault’ with women in the armed forces are happening with increasing and depressing frequency.
The Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces published a report “Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life” which finds that the MoD (Ministry of Defence) and Services are failing to protect female personnel and to help servicewomen achieve their full potential.
Most (90%) servicewomen and female veterans consulted said they would recommend a career in the armed forces but more than 3,000 (around 84%) said being female meant facing additional challenges compared with their male counterparts.
In the Committee’s survey, 64 percent of female veterans and 58 percent of currently-serving women reported experiencing BHD (Bullying, harassment, discrimination) during their careers. The MoD’s representative statistics show that BHD and sexual harassment are gendered. The inquiry heard truly shocking evidence of the bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape experienced by servicewomen.
The report also finds serious problems with the military’s handling of sexual assault and harassment, which sometimes exacerbates trauma for victims.
The report found that servicewomen face numerous practical challenges, some of which place them in danger of life-threatening injuries. The Committee finds it “extraordinary” that the MoD is not getting basics like uniforms and equipment right. The report includes stories of armoured plates restricting movement, oversized helmets restricting vision and servicewomen deliberately dehydrating themselves due to limited systems for female urination.
BBC News Defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale in his recent report mentioned the bitter experiences of Sophia (imaginary name) who was until 2017, an officer in the Royal Navy. She was sexually harassed and then assaulted by her male boss.
She said trying to make a complaint was like “coming up against a brick wall”.
“It’s a boys’ club. They wanted to make sure he was alright. They didn’t want it happening on their watch. It’s bad press for them and it doesn’t look good on their reports.”
Sophia left the Navy and successfully took her case to a civilian court.
Her lawyer, Ahmed Al-Nahhas, says he has dozens of similar cases. He describes the military complaints system as “not fit for purpose” and welcomes the findings of the defence committee report.
Chair of the Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces and female veteran, Sarah Atherton MP said, “A woman raped in the military often then has to live and work with the accused perpetrator, with fears that speaking out would damage her career prospects. Our recommendations attempt to mitigate this and ask the Ministry of Defence to tackle the issue of criminal behaviour head on. From our evidence, it is clear to us that serious sexual offenses should not be tried in the Court Martial system. It cannot be right that conviction rates in military courts are four to six times lower than in civilian courts. Military women are being denied justice.”