They cannot silence all of us!

I am deeply disturbed, saddened, but unfortunately not surprised by the revelation of offences against senior women at the Ministry of Defence, many of whom I have coached. I commend the 60 individuals at the MoD who bravely spoke out against the disgraceful behaviour of their male colleagues. 👏

To those men who were aware of these offences but chose to remain silent and inactive in stopping such repugnant conduct, shame on you. 🙈 🙉 🙊

New statistics from the MOD reveal a 43% increase in investigations of military sexual offences over the past year, with the number of investigations rising from 239 in 2021 to 342 in 2022. These offences include acts that violate the Sexual Offences Act 2003, such as rape, sexual assault, voyeurism, and historical sexual offences. Is it any wonder that some of these women will feel compelled to leave such a toxic workplace culture? 🚶‍♀️

One-third (32%) of women report negative impacts on their careers from sexual harassment. A toxic workplace culture can harm employees' mental health, leading to absenteeism, presenteeism, and a tarnished employer reputation.

To address this, women must be encouraged to speak up, and barriers to reporting harassment must be removed by implementing an anonymous reporting system.

The MoD is not the sole perpetrator – Over the past year, 56% of women have experienced harassment and microaggressions at work, an increase from the 2021 report (52%). Unfortunately, only a small fraction of these incidents are reported as women still fear consequences for speaking up, doubt they will be taken seriously, and worry that the situation may worsen. Women from ethnic minorities are more likely to experience non-inclusive behaviours, such as having someone claim credit for their ideas and facing repeated disparaging comments about their gender.

I urge all male allies to recognize that we cannot change this behaviour without your support, as you hold the majority of power at the highest level.

Why must the media expose the MoD's misconduct before an emergency meeting is convened? They were undoubtedly aware of what was happening to their senior female employees long before the bomb dropped. 💣

To any woman who has endured such degradation, I encourage you to transform your pain into empowerment. I, too, have faced similar challenges in my career, and I stood my ground with mixed results but no regrets.

Do not let fear dictate your actions. Confront your offender and seek support from other women in similar circumstances. Lean in. Don't go along to get along. They cannot silence all of us! 📢 Leaders must invest in effective listening methods for stakeholders while ensuring a safe working environment for everyone.