London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Women in UK armed forces face 'hostile environment' if they report bullying

Women in UK armed forces face 'hostile environment' if they report bullying

Army veteran Diane Allen tells MPs that women are coerced to withdraw harassment complaints
Women who serve in the armed forces find that they face “a hostile environment” when they are victims of bullying or harassment and try to complain, according to candid testimony given to a parliamentary committee on Thursday.

Diane Allen, who served for 30 years in the British army, told MPs that women were often pressed to withdraw their complaints, reflecting what she said were “mixed messages” from the defence leadership.

“I think it’s a very large problem in the current service, and I do believe women are being coerced to withdraw stories, to change their evidence and to generally be almost gaslighted to withdraw a story and not take it forward,” said Allen, who now represents dozens of female personnel and veterans.

The 30-year veteran said life in the military could be “very good, and it’s a wonderful place to work.” But she added that military service could become “a very hostile environment for those who do find themselves in a vulnerable position”.

Allen was responding to the committee’s chair, the Conservative MP Sarah Atherton, who had said evidence given to the committee suggested that “six out of 10 complaints” were not pursued “because of the chain of command”.

Similar issues were faced by former personnel, said Paula Edwards, a mental health therapist with Salute Her, which works with woman veterans. “As soon as they leave a service [the] complaint is almost forgotten about.”

Atherton chairs a special defence subcommittee that has begun gathering evidence from female veterans and current personnel, the latter able to respond after the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, lifted a gagging order last year.

A total of 4,106 personnel and veterans completed an anonymous survey, and Atherton said “interest in this subcommittee has been immense”. She said 9% of all women serving in the regular forces had already given some form of evidence.

Women make up 11% of the armed forces and 15% of the reserves, according to official statistics, but the committee heard Allen and other witnesses argue that progress towards equality across the military had stalled.

No roles were off-limits in theory, but Allen said there was a problem of inclusion, with women reporting that in male-dominated areas such as the infantry it was not uncommon to hear “overt comments saying they will never be allowed to join their regiment” and “stories of initiation ceremonies designed to embarrass women”.

She said equipment was “still designed for men and simply resized for women”. It was still a “significant problem, equipment does not fit,” she told MPs. Training regimes were not adjusted for women, they were “designed by men for men”, Allen said.

She said another issue was the effectiveness of military police, who have the power to investigate rape and sexual assault cases in the UK. “I cannot see why on the UK mainland we are allowing our service police to do this, it seems perverse and it isn’t working,” she said.

Last year Wallace rejected a review recommendation that in effect would have handed the jurisdiction of such cases over to the civilian justice system.

Allen complained about the lack of independent oversight of the British armed forces. “I believe it’s the only UK public body that has no sort of an Ofsted for defence, it has no body that is independent and can actually look into defence. Defence marks its own homework,” she said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×