ࡱ> {}zg  7bjbjVV <:r<r<&*TTaaaaabbb8Hb Tbb;hbhb~b~b~bcccrtttttt$7^]acccccaa~b~bHdddca~ba~brdcrdd.@~b2j_`dRn8^ 0;Gd"Gp\Gapccdcccccdccc;ccccGcccccccccT `: Name withheld Part B My submission is in reference to sexual harassment, abuse and retention. Since leaving the Defence Force I have studied Counselling and have come to realise that there were things done to me in the Army that are classified as abuse and sexual harassment. Although deep down I knew this at the time and spoke up to some degree, I was terrified to speak up and therefore harboured the issues until they came back to haunt me a few years ago. I was one of the first women to do the job I did in the Army and it was very tough. The unit I was in was isolated from the rest of the Army and had their own way of dealing with things. I was called things like hoe, front bum, whore, slut, useless sheila and the word starting with ""c"" that I don't say. There were times when I was threatened with physical violence. I was terrified and constantly crying in the bathroom and became depressed and felt isolated. I felt disliked simply because I am a woman. There were 3 other women posted there the same time as me and they went through similar experiences. When we arrived at the unit, there were bets on who could sleep with one of the women first. It was disgusting behaviour. These are only some examples of what occurred. I left the Army because of this abuse and struggled in my life for many years to follow. I left the regular Army in 2000 so things may have changed in the trade I was in since then but I saw this submission as an opportunity to make a difference. While in the ARA, I tried to trade transfer to a less physically and emotionally demanding role 3 times and my transfer was rejected each time. On the third time it was rejected I submitted my transfer to the Army Reserve and left with a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I believe this PTSD was caused from the constant abuse and harassment as well as spending 6 months in East Timor when I was already at my wits end from the fear of my co-workers and stress relating to consistently being pressured to perform to the same level as the men. I was parachute qualified and had to lift as much as the men. It was expected that us women do it as well as the men and I was one to rise to the occasion just so I might actually one day fit in. The problem was that once we proved ourselves at one thing, they just raised the bar. It was a never ending battle against the standards that were set. I believe in challenging yourself but also there is a time when a woman needs acknowledgment and recognition for what she has achieved. To be made to constantly prove yourself is a form of abuse that causes both physical and mental exhaustion. Because of my experience and being so close to the front line working with the Commandos, SAS and 3 RAR, I would also like to express my concern with placing women into combat roles. The Commandos and SAS treated me VERY well and there is not one incident involving anyone from there. Most of 3 RAR were great but there were a few minor incidences where there was some abuse. I was not doing a combat role and was not a threat to them. But I can "!t imagine what it would be like to not shower for as long as they do, walk as far as they do and carry as much as they do. I am aware of the level required of women to be able to achieve what these men achieve. It is possible but not necessarily sustainable. And like the Defence Forces of other countries (and sadly sometimes Australia) there opens up for cases of rape and sexual abuse as well as emotional/psychological abuse. Because of the way I was treated being one of the first women to do the job I did, it scares me what it would be like to go into an actual combat role. I realise for some it is what they want to do, but allowing them to do so can be a dangerous decision to make based upon the research done regarding the masculinisation of women what that does to them emotionally, physically and psychologically. I realise that women can choose which job they prefer to do now (when I joined I did not get the choice) but I know firsthand the damage that can be done by placing women in roles that are overly physically demanding, psychologically demanding and which make women masculine. I am all for women doing whatever they choose in life, however, I do not agree that women should be placed into an Infantry or similar roles due to the masculinisation of them and what that does to their mental state and bodies. Also, like I mentioned before, it opens things up to more abuse. There will obviously be a transition period where the men and women learn to work together but what happens to the women who go through that transition period? I was one of the women who went through a transition period and I am sure it is now normal for women to be in the role I was in which on some levels is amazing. This doesn "!t change the fact that every day for years I struggled with the abuse and it took me a long time to come to terms with it. So if you are considering putting women into roles they have never been in before, I would highly recommend constant counselling, support and mentoring. It was always said that we were breaking the ice for women in that role but did not receive the support that was required to be able to maintain sanity and sustain the momentum. So, in being solution oriented and to get help with my issues when I was in the Army, I went to see the RAAF Chaplain and I also asked a Doctor if I could see a Psychologist. The Doctor I saw rejected my request for psychological help and therefore I continued getting counselling from the Chaplain which was of benefit. I see now the problem in my situation was that I did not have any female mentoring, nor did I have sufficient support to be able to sustain the intense requirements of the job I was doing. The work I was expected to do was not sustainable physically, emotionally and psychologically. I was stretched to my limits both in Australia and Overseas. It was a combination of those things that led to the PTSD. I can clearly attribute the failure of relationships and struggles with health to a combination of the abuse, sexual harassment and deployment. I believe that on return from deployment there could have been a lot more psychological help available and I became a Counsellor for that exact reason, to help women who are veterans. I recovered from PTSD and so can they! When I returned from deployment and before I joined the Army, I wish I understood the difference between masculine and feminine and what doing a masculine role can do to femininity. It is the feminine women who struggle the most in the Army from my experience and the masculine ones who struggle the most when faced with relationships and health. It has been proven that over masculinisation of women for long periods of time can cause infertility, heart disease, intimacy issues and the list goes on. My studies of this have been done within a personal development framework such as Anthony Robbins and a lady by the name of Alison Armstrong and my experience proves these frameworks to be pretty close to the mark. I believe that the Defence Force could have more of an understanding of the differences between men and women and teach women how to be masculine when they need to and then revert back to being feminine for relationships and times when they are not at work. In saying all this, there were many amazing things that I did in the Army and when I transferred to the Army Reserve I went into Recruiting so I could help others choose their career path wisely because I did not get the chance to do that myself. I found in the Army Reserve I was treated like an adult and with respect. I have since dealt with most of my issues and had some wonderful help to be able to help others. I believe that the Australian Army treats women better than some other Armies of the world. I think that with some prior thought and research that the Army can be a safe and rewarding career path for women. The Abuse I experienced has led me to be a wiser person and I take that experience and apply it my life to be able to live with power. Some women do not get the same help I got and may feel stuck with their issues. The major point in all of this for me is that I was abused, I tried to leave the abusive situation and the Army would not allow me to do that. If I was in a domestic violence situation (which is another form of abuse), someone would have intervened and if there was no solution I would have had help to be removed from that situation as quickly as possible. The thing I have learned is that abuse to one person may not be abuse to another. It is a case by case situation and there is no telling who will be affected and who won "!t. To be educated on what is classed as abuse and being given a safe person to report that abuse to would have been the key to my retention in the Army and the key to feeling heard and understood. I appreciate that I was breaking the ice "! but I have a no abuse policy that has me leave if there is any hint of abuse in a situation if it is not dealt with.  0466666666666777 7 7 7 7h@Sh5YmHnHu h_h@Sjh_h@SUho'>jho'>U hV/hyUhyh*hJ ijnoKL Y#Z#.'/'q(t(++F5G5666gdmLgdygdV/I also appreciate that I may be more sensitive than other women but sensitivity is a very feminine trait. I should not have been expected to change myself to fit in with an environment, I should have been accepted for who I am and the fact that I could do the job. Although it wasnt sustainable, I did my best at the time. I hope the information within this has helped in some way. I have a passion for helping female veterans because I had some wonderful help myself. It would be amazing if there was specific help for women prior to joining, whilst in the Defence Force, transitioning to civillian life and ongoing support. Men and women are different and to provide them the same type of support could be part of the problem.      PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 1 6666666 7 7 7 7gdygdqgdmL :&P 1h:pqBP. 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