Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Sexual harassmentBullying and harassmentEquality, diversity and inclusionLatest News

Report claims sexual harassment in Armed Forces has reached “alarming levels”

by Greg Pitcher 14 Dec 2006
by Greg Pitcher 14 Dec 2006

Sexual harassment in the Armed Forces has reached “alarming levels”, according to a government report.


The House of Commons Defence Committee annual report found that 99% of service women had been put in sexualised situations in the past year.


Two-thirds of women respondents said such behaviour had been directed at them personally, while one in seven reported a “particularly upsetting experience”.


The committee said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had recognised the problem of sexual harassment but needed to do much more to tackle it.


“We look to the MoD to make significant progress in reducing the incidents of sexual harassment in the Armed Forces, and intend to monitor this issue closely,” said the report.


The MoD was also slated for going backwards in its drive to recruit more black people and ethnic minorities.


On 1 April 2006, black and ethnic minority personnel made up 2.4% of the service – down from 2.5% three years earlier.


“We are very disappointed by the MoD’s poor performance against its diversity targets,” said the Commons report.


“In addition, the MoD seems to have little grasp of the reasons behind its failure to recruit black and ethnic minorities in sufficient numbers.”


Speculation that the Armed Forces were near breaking point were fuelled by the report.


“With problems of undermanning continuing, there is a clear danger that the Armed Forces will not be capable of maintaining current commitments over the medium-term,” it said, adding that staff training was suffering due to this stretching of the forces.


“In view of the crucial importance of training to our Armed Services, this is of deepest concern to us.”


However, the MoD insisted the report was mainly positive and said it would respond formally in due course.


“We welcome the House of Commons Defence Committee’s report, which concludes that overall performance is satisfactory,” said a statement.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“The committee commends the department’s overall success in delivering its objectives. The MoD welcomes the fact that the committee recognises that these achievements are being made, despite the demands generated by the high tempo of operations.”


The number of women in the services has grown in recent years, and they now account for 9% of UK regular forces.

Greg Pitcher

previous post
Government promises £500,000 to fund pilot schemes to help ex-offenders’ job prospects
next post
Capita Health Solutions wins extension of occupational health contract at BT

You may also like

Which employers offer equal parental leave?

16 Sep 2025

Staff prioritise work-life balance and boundaries – research

16 Sep 2025

Personnel Today Awards 2025 shortlist: HR team of...

16 Sep 2025

Thousands of jobs to be created in nuclear...

15 Sep 2025

Judge in Supreme Court ruling said he’d ‘take...

15 Sep 2025

A third of UK employers use ‘bossware’ to...

15 Sep 2025

Employment lawyers voice AI fears on tribunal claims

15 Sep 2025

Day one rights to make 86% more cautious...

14 Sep 2025

Barclays Bank boss warns Reeves over public sector...

12 Sep 2025

MPs probe Asda financial links with workplace lender

12 Sep 2025

  • Workplace health benefits need to be simplified SPONSORED | Long-term sickness...Read more
  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise