Sexual Harassment In The Military Mustn’t Continue

Nobody should ever have to deal with sexual harassment while they are at work. It doesn’t matter what job they do, the workplace should be free of this atrocious behavior. This is true even in traditionally male-dominated professions. Unfortunately, some high profile individuals don’t realize that they are encouraging sexual harassment.

It has recently come to light that White House’s deputy chief of staff for communication’s wife believes that women who join the military should expect to be sexually harassed. While this is an older comment, the fact that it is now making headlines shows just how far women still have to go in their fight for hostile-free workplaces.

In her comment, she notes that the women who are taking assignments in a mostly male space, such as on a submarine, should basically prepare for this type of harassment. This is simply wrong because the men should be able to control themselves when they are working.

Women in the military have the right to expect to be able to do their jobs without having to worry about males behaving inappropriately. In bootcamp, members of all branches are taught to have military bearing. Just because a man is working in close proximity to a woman doesn’t mean that he should forget his military bearing.

Any servicewoman who is harassed in a sexual manner should find out her options for handling the situation. Some women might feel wary of standing up against this behavior, especially when the person is a superior. Still, not taking any action is an almost surefire way to ensure the behavior will continue.