Fri 17 October 2023:
In an alarming letter obtained by the British media, sixty senior women within the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) have highlighted a workplace culture plagued by allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse perpetrated by male coworkers.
The letter, which was apparently delivered last month to the UK Ministry of Defence’s permanent secretary, included a number of anonymous testimony from women who had direct knowledge of the women’s harrowing experiences.
The most significant revelations were from the Commons defence subcommittee’s examination of life for women across the armed forces. One in 10 female soldiers gave evidence, telling of gang rape, sex for promotion or advancement, and trophies or contests to “bag the women” on camp or on ship.
A 19-year-old gunner, Jaysley Beck, is believed to have killed herself at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, in December 2021 following constant sexual harassment from her boss, who unsuccessfully sought a relationship with her. He sent her more than 3,500 WhatsApp messages and voicemails, an official report said.
What do the testimonials show?
The testimonials show a pattern of misconduct, revealing incidents such as women being “propositioned,” “groped,” and “touched repeatedly” within the MoD.
The senior civil servants who penned the letter to describe the prevailing atmosphere as “hostile to women as equal and respected partners,” has sparked concerns about a broader discriminatory culture within one of the largest departments of the UK government.
Where all have the alleged incidents of abuse occurred?
The letter comprises of allegations spanning both the Ministry of Defence’s London headquarters as well as the overseas bases. But most of these accounts have been categorised as “very recent”, reflecting rampant signs of discriminatory workplace culture within the ministry.
About incidents of alleged abuse
The disclosed incidents of alleged abuse include:
– A woman who reported being groped at an MoD social function, only to be discouraged from filing a complaint.
– An overseas posting where a woman claimed to be “touched repeatedly on the lower back and legs by a senior military officer,” with no repercussions for the alleged perpetrator, according to the Guardian.
– Shocking revelations about a group of military officers allegedly maintaining an “Excel spreadsheet that rated women” based on appearance and perceived behavior in intimate settings.
– An incident where a “defence senior” purportedly inquired whether anal sex was an appropriate topic for a speech before an evening event.
– An unsettling account of a military officer “propositioning” a woman late at night in a corridor on an overseas military base.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by the complaints made and we are taking action to tackle the issues raised. No woman should be made to feel unsafe in Defence and this behaviour will not be tolerated. We also continue to encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed this kind of inexcusable behaviour, to report it immediately.”
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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