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Sarah Atherton MP published the Women in Defence inquiry in 2021, denouncing inactivity and the 'culture of silence' in the Armed Forces.
THE 2023 REVIEW CLOSED 25TH OCTOBER 2023 - Updates are Here

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  • The Atherton Inquiry (2021) confirmed the findings of all previous reviews and reports since Deepcut.

  • This included the most recent (Wigston) recommendations of 2019, which have still not been enacted. 

  • The MoD lifted the gagging order on service personnel, to allow them to take part in the inquiry, but not to comment on the report.

  • Senior leaders, including all the senior women have been largely silent since publication.

  • MoD official forums are anecdotally suppressing discussions and refusing to post the report.

  • The official response was delayed until December 2021 - it promised policy changes and a target of 30% women in the armed forces. We continue to lobby parliament, for changes to be enacted.

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             Sarah Atherton Comment HERE.

2023 opportunities to take part - the Inquiry review of progress is now complete. You can read submissions via this link.

 

The 2021 Inquiry.

The Defence Select Committee launched a #MilitaryMeToo inquiry, chaired by Sarah Atherton MP. It produced the : Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life report.

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Sarah was able to arrange for the Secretary of State for Defence to lift the ban on serving personnel speaking to parliamentarians. You can read the background article on Sarah's website.  Over 4000 serving women told the committee their thoughts, without their identity being compromised (many serving women had told us they feared career damage if they spoke out without anonymity). 

There were opportunities offered for written, oral and panel evidence - men, women, family members, civil servants serving in defence and of course serving and veteran women. It included a survey and submissions of individual experiences. Over 4000 women took part. Charities submitted their experiences. MPs also contributed by speaking to witnesses and challenging defence on progress.

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For all the women and men who contributed directly through this website, a joint report was submitted and I gave oral evidence to the defence select committee. The report was released in July 2021.

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 #MilMeToo New Submission

The inquiry review closed on 25th October 2023.  

No stories will be added to the database without the written consent of individuals.

After the deadline, if you still wish to share your experiences, you can do so, and the information will be held in our archive - as we seek funding for a permanent archive of the stories of the women who serve(d).

 

If you are using a pseudonym, please indicate in the text below. No real names will be included without permission, but for research purposes, either real names or service numbers will be required, for initial identification and research reference.

Relevant Service
Did your experience contribute to your leaving/plans to leave?

Thanks for submitting!

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