ForeWarned: Tales of a Woman at War...with the Military System
By Diane Allen OBE
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about why I wrote my book – about cocks-ups, conspiracies, and misogyny in the British Army. I wrote it after experiencing discrimination within the military. The book was initially written as catharsis, due to finding myself in the same position as too many other women, being held back by the Patriarchy and powerless to fix it. But gradually it became a project. As I connected to other women and charities supporting the military community, I realised how big the problem still was. I decided to publish the book for two reasons: as a call to arms, to encourage as many women as possible to speak up; and to put a human face on the problem. I wanted to write about both the ups and downs of my military experiences and set them against the backdrop of the changes for women in UK society since the 1980s. How feminism as a word has been problematic: for those of us who grew up in the 80s, many of us were ‘too scared to be seen as feminists’, which was portrayed at the time (or I perceived it that way), as aggressive and trying to weaken the power of the military.
I joined the Army when I was a teenager and was of the first women to attend Sandhurst in the 1980s. I regret holding that view of weakness in my earlier years. I now see feminism very differently. And am willing to speak up for my own team. Diversity & inclusion are strengths – not weaknesses.
The Armed Forces have been trumpeting great success in achieving equality and opening all roles to women, but the reality is quite different. The UK has dropped behind many other militaries and my view is that the bosses are doing the minimum and selecting only the women for senior positions who will not try and change the rules. And there are still dark and toxic pockets where leadership remains weak and discrimination flourishes. Since I launched the book, I have heard too many tales - of un-reported rapes, women coerced into not reporting sexist behaviours, every-day sexism – and women resigning as I did, because they do not believe reporting problems would resolve their issues. What a waste of talent.
But my reason for resigning is to speak up. I want to say why it is no longer okay and what I personally can do to change things. I chose the title of the book because it is the system that is holding women and other minority groups in the military from achieving our best. That system is designed and still managed by a handful of white, privileged men, who are setting the rules. The recent Wigston report into the current state of the Armed Forces, described on-going unacceptable levels of sexual offences, discrimination and bullying with the main cause being, “a pack mentality among the mostly white middle-aged men who make up the senior ranks.” The Armed Forces accepted the findings in full and agreed to change. That was July 2019. You will not be surprised to hear that nothing has changed. I decided it was time to use my experiences to show what change could look like. To offer a system that will do what the Armed Forces will not. And to keep providing it, until the MoD does address its problems.
Since I launched my book and social media, I have been equally saddened and heartened by the response. Saddened that so many women in the Armed Forces are still reporting problems – and heartened that so many are willing to speak up now. Over 100 women contacted me to tell their stories and more are coming in weekly. And charities and lawyers also told me of hundreds more they know who may be willing to add their stories. I suspect some of you in FiLiA may also be able to add further tales as well.
I looked up FiLiA and it is described as a Women-led volunteer organisation, with three great aims:
- Building Sisterhood and Solidarity - Amplifying the Voices of Women - Defending Women's Human Rights
The Military is overdue its #MeToo moment. It needs to acknowledge and draw a line under the historic experiences and to create a better and independent system. I believe that all women can assist the MoD to take the right next steps. I am a networker at heart and collaborative in style.
I would love to learn from any of you who have experienced discrimination (probably all of you) and how you have overcome it in your own work-places and lives. There has been good news already since I launched. I am now working with an MP and I intend to bring not only my story but now hundreds of others to show where the MoD is still behind wider UK society. I hope that some of your members may be able to help in my journey – and share with me how they have used the sisterhood, solidarity and amplifying the voices of women – to defend and demand women’s human rights.