RAF Women sexually harrassed
A report from England publsihed in today’s Australian suggests a huge proportion of Airforce women are sexually harrassed. I take all such reports with a grain of salt as the first question is – What defines sexuall harrassment?
In my day, everything up to hearing the words NO was OK and it was known colloqually as trying to score but I get the feeling that under today’s rules a good morning smile can be upgraded to a leer with associated mental undressing with little proof required.
ALMOST half the women serving in Britain’s Royal Air Force had suffered from sexual harassment, it was reported today.
More than 1000 of the 2500 women surveyed internally by the RAF had been victims of sexual harassment over the past 12 months, reports in the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror said.I simply don’t believe it. Maybe ten percent of this is harrassment and inapropriate behaviour. It’s been my experience that most men are reasonble when dealing with the lifelong pursuit of the pleasures of Venus and know NO when they hear it. Life goes on. Men try and women mostly accept their approach. Some blokes come on too strong but mostly they end up accepting failure and try elsewhere. My Corps, Infantry, have a perfect record on this type of behaviour. It could be due to a total lack of women in the work place but I’d like to think it’s because we are gentlemen of the old school. It’s life’s major game-play and someone suggests fifty percent of this is harrassment or inapropriate. No way!
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If I could have a dollar for every bloke who put his arms around me or pinched my bum in a teasing manner, half of British males would be in the clink or I’d be as rich as Rose Porteous Hancock( wherever she is these days).OK A slight exageration!
I took it as a bit of ‘cheek’ if I liked the bloke, and as a sort of compliment. If it was overtly sexual from a known ‘sleeze artist’ I tell him to bugger off and mean it.
That was in the days when there was not the sexual freedom of today- what is it with the girls of today? can they not deal with life without a bloody lawyer or are they all on the make.
That’s my point Rose. If the answer was half are harrassed then what on earth was the question.
I think the stats are skewed a little.
If the RAF is anything like the RAAF, it would be mostly other WRAAFs doing the harassing- Amberley at least is full of Daphnes, Rug-Munchers, Chemise-Lifters and future Labor parliamentarians/senior Australian political journalists.
PB: It is my personal experience that air women in the RAAF for the most part could harrass the men (for those that way inclined) just as well as the men when it suited them and complain loudly when it did not. I have personally seen instances when one male has done something, then another with the latter being complained about while the former was forgotten because he was popular with the girls. BTW WRAAF’s no long exist as an organization (many of whom I greatly respect). I found the number of blue lemons increased greatly from the early 80’s
Cheers
“ALMOST half the women serving in Britain’s Royal Air Force had suffered from sexual harassment,..”
LESS THAN HALF? This is simply not good enough, lads; get those figures UP…. we want 95% at least!
“More than 1000 of the 2500 women surveyed internally by the RAF had been victims of sexual harassment..”
Hmmm. 2500 women internally surveyed by the RAF. I’d say that unless the RAF bods who did the internal “surveys” were doctors and the women requested the internal survey, it may be the RAF brass who are guilty of sexual misconduct, not the poor bloody enlisted bods.
(Sorry – couldn’t resist all that). Jokes aside, are these feminazis totally Harpic or what?
Suspect it depends on definition. And that’s the problem.
These days it is as murky as something that is really murkier than murky. Can understand why there is confusion on every side.
Most women can deal with it, Rose. And of course we all like a bit of attention and we all sometimes make bananas of ourselves. However, that doesn’t necessarily suggest something untoward has taken place. This could be another example of the rights above responsibilities culture.
Love the line about the “pursuit of the pleasures of Venus”, by the way. Wonder what the female equivalent would be.
Darlene
Female equivalent..pursuit of the pleasures of Priapus
Thanks Kev.
Can I now report being harrassed by a WRAC Corporal when I was a black beret commando back in ’77? I was seventeen, been thru IET at bardia barracks in Singleton. She was late twenties and based next door at Georges Heights. We did it until I got my Green beret [week after I turned eighteen], and met a woman closer to my age at the star hotel in newcastle when I did my static line para course at RAAF williamstown.
I have to save I bloody well enjoyed each and every minute of it. Her and I and One Commando Company.