'I was given a choice of bosses to sleep with': Life as a female paramedic in the UK
'I was given a choice of bosses to sleep with': Life as a female paramedic in the UK
Three women share their stories of the toxic culture of sexual harassment and abuse of power within the ambulance service, and ask what can be done to change it.
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.
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This is the kind of shit that happens when citizens don't have the right to self defense. In the USA a woman could kill a man in self defense if they started a rape attempt. Without legal access to some kind of weapons for self defense a woman will almost always be at a significant disadvantage in a physical confrontation with a man. I support every woman's inherent right to self-defense against rapists, and governments should too.
Wow there are so many downvoters on here, it's sad that you all want those poor women to have no protection from being raped. Where I'm from the things this article describes are unheard of, because rapists know they will face consequences.
This may shock you, but sexual assault happens in America
That may be true, but at least the women have a fighting chance.
So you're saying that the appropriate response to office sexual harassment is to start shooting lecherous coworkers? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but I don't think you've thought this through.
Typical American response.
"Me no likey, so me shooty".
US response to any societal problem:
NEEDZ MOAR DAKKA
Yes, that's based as hell.
Slow down Judge Dredd, having people killi each other with no need to provide proof or due process is not the happy world your brain is conjuring.
You should have gone with the Punisher. The Punisher is a vigilante, Dredd is literally the "due process."
He says it a lot... Like a lot a lot. It's kind of his whole deal? Being the law? And a literal fascist.
Absolutely. Spot on. Rape doesn't exist in America and no American organizations could ever have a culture of abuse as described in this story.
Out of curiosity , what did you wear to Bill Cosby's funeral? The same outfit you wore to Harvey Weinstein's funeral?
I actually heard that people really believe that Hollywood is a haven for sexual predators and sexual abuse, including rape, is rampant throughout the American entertainment industry. Can you believe that?
Don't they know the 2nd Amendment has eliminated both individual cases of rape and systemic sexual abuse?
Anywho, do you have any plans on watching USA Gymnastics this year?
Cosby and Weinstein are both still alive.
That's impossible, which you would know if you had read the comment I was replying to.
If you had read it, you would have learned that in America the 2nd amendment has prevented if not all, then the overwhelming majority, of all sexual assaults and rapes.
Which means that both men are dead.
The rapist can get a weapon too and being raped at gunpoint isn't quite an improvement. You'll likely get shot before you can draw a gun of your own.
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.