Re: [semi OT] Women wargamers -longish

Tony Wilkinson wrote:

>	  I have to agree with Los here. In my short time in the navy
(R.A.N.) I was
> at the Australian Defence Force Academy. ADFA is our main officer
training
> school and takes in all three services and all the internal units are
mixed
> sex. 

---->8---
> Further there has always
> been an atmosphere of sexual harassment and intimidation in some of
the
> units at ADFA.

Yes. Correction of the problem is difficult too. There is one thing
though that works for us: the constant turn-over of students. The kids
there now have quite different attitudes from previous years.

> I don't think it was as bad when I was there (10 years ago)
> as it appears to be now, but getting through is tough enough without
the
> fear of being raped, whcih has happened.

Alas yes it has. Did you report the problems? Was there any official or
unofficial mechanism/channel whereby you could? There's also been a
witch hunt or three since then to correct the problems. Royal
Commissions, etc. One good thing that has come of it is that there are
many channels for reporting problems now.
I believe that the situation is dramatically better now than 5 years
ago, but 10 years I dunno, I wasn't at ADFA then.

Another (obvious) caveat is that as Staff, I probably know less than 10%
of what is actually going on.

>	  If women are to take a place in combat roles, especailly
combat command,
> there needs to be a radical change in military culture that must start
> during basic training.

CORRECT! And it has done, at least to some extent, and within the ADF.
>From my personal experiences, the US is not in the same position. They
too are trying, but there's a more conservative culture there.

> The banter is part of it but more as a
> symptom for what is underneath than a problem in itself (I know some
of the
> female cadets could give as good if not better than they got when it
came
> to sexually innuendo). 

This is still true. I have to occasionally rhein it in during labs. Not
because the participants are taking offence, but because it could be
misinterpreted by passers-by. And because when I'm in charge of the lab,
I'm "In Loco Parentis" and all of that.

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