Katie* is one of three female paramedics who have shared their experiences of being “hounded” for sexual favours in return for passing training, getting a promotion or simply keeping their jobs.
Although these remarks were often dismissed as “jokes” or “banter”, Katie says, occasionally it shifted into a “monumental” abuse of power.
“Handjobs. Blowjobs. They were obsessed with blowjobs,” she says.
Once I made a mistake with a patient, and a colleague tried to blackmail me into having sex with him. It was horrendous. When I told him no, he said, “watch your back, because I could rape you”.
I don’t know how you change this culture. When posters saying “We Do Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment” were put on the doors in the ladies toilets, a man crossed out the “Not” and drew a penis next to a woman’s mouth.
Pepper sprays and tasers exist and can also equalize the playing field with far fewer people dying.
How about we teach boys to not treat women as less than instead of forcing women to have to defend themselves from sexual abusers?
Nip that shit in the bud.
We could, but it’s so much easier to just keep blaming women for being temptresses. /s
It’s absolutely fucking ridiculous that there are still large workplaces with this kind of culture.
We’d have to dismantle most religions before we can ever see that change.