Sexual harassment and discrimination is still rampant
By Estefania Duran
Image courtesy of Dave Eagles / Flickr
In May 1974, the RCMP announced the recruitment of women for the first time in its 101-year existence. Despite the male officers’ skepticism, 30 out of the 32 women successfully completed their training and became part of a ceremony that would go down in history. After graduation, however, it soon became apparent that allowing women to join did not necessarily mean that the force was equipped to accommodate female officers.
Women have been accepted into the RCMP for over 37 years now, yet there is still evidence of recurring discrimination and sexual harassment within the force. Through discrimination and sexual harassment, men in law enforcement ostracize powerful and capable women from continuing in the force, or even joining it.
Even something like uniforms, which should have been straightforward and unbiased, became an immediate issue: it was not until 1990 that female officers were allowed to wear pants to work instead of a skirt and pumps.
In fact, as recently as 2003, there is evidence that this is ongoing. A female officer that had been with the Force for over 17 years made an official complaint regarding the dress code, which forced women to wear a skirt to all formal events without exception. She felt that such policy was discriminatory, since it differentiated between male and female members. The request was denied twice and was not accepted until 2012 — nine years later.
Regrettably, discrimination based on uniform is neither the only nor the worst of the problems female officers have faced in the force. In April 2012, an internal report based on 426 BC female officers released its results — the results were disturbing and shed light on some of the darker problems within the RCMP.
The study highlights the overwhelming perception that there is a lack of consequences for the harasser — at worst, he will be transferred or even promoted. It is shocking to see how
police organizations, which are committed to protecting the rights and liberties of citizens, are failing to do the same for their own female officers.
Coming forward with a harassment complaint brings more problems to the female officers than it does the perpetrator, resulting in a hesitation among female officers to file complaints.
In regards to harassment complaints within the institution last year, the chief recruiter of the RCMP told The Vancouver Sun that female officers would need to be able to have “… the strength to deal with it.” This message not only adds to the problem but, worse still, serves as a bad example to other men in the force.
Another female RCMP officer who filed a complaint against her superior was left disappointed by the harsh reception from fellow male officers. This officer not only did she not receive support from the RCMP, but was also further humiliated by her aggressor, who publicly labelled her as nothing but a meddler quick to lay sexual harassment charges. This tainted her reputation, and she was never taken seriously again, leaving her with few options for career advancement.
Sadly, there are many cases similar to this one, which is precisely why female officers are faced with the dilemma of whether or not it is worth filing a complaint. If the victim will suffer more consequences than the perpetrator, there is clearly something wrong at the heart of the institution and how it cares for its officers.
Officer MacLean was part of the force for many years. At one point, she saw no option but to complain about a senior officer’s repeated harassment and inappropriate suggestions of ways to advance her career.
When she finally came forward regarding the inappropriate behaviour, she was ignored, and received a negative assessment for her work. After failing to see any action, she finally had no choice but to quit. MacLean is now one of the 200 female RCMP officers filing a lawsuit against the institution.
The lawyer representing the female officers explained that these are problems that the RCMP has been aware of for years, but are just now being brought to light with this lawsuit. Moreover, he suggested that even with the lawsuit, the case will likely not get underway until this year and could take several years to process, showing that even when women decide to take action and speak up, it can still take years for justice to be served.
Even though a class action lawsuit may seem like the right way to hold the RCMP and its male perpetrators accountable, the problem these types of lawsuits is that they are almost always settled out of court. A document is signed that releases the defendant from further liability and explains that the receipt of settlement from the RCMP is not equivalent to admission of wrongdoing.
Accepting settlements out of court allows the RCMP to abstain from admitting liability, which can only further perpetuate the wrongdoings of the institution. If male officers do not suffer the consequences of their actions, and the institution itself denies accountability, then how can change be possible?
Amongst the female officers that came forward in the class action lawsuit was former constable Janet Merlo. One shift, a supervising corporal told everyone that she was the right height “because you can lay a six-pack of beer on her head while she gives you a blow job.” If a supervising corporal can make such statements without any repercussions, then it is vital for society to question not only the institution but also the unethical behaviour they endorse.
Discrimination within law enforcement can vary in its severity; however, the fact that male officers see nothing wrong with leaving lingerie on the lockers of female officers demonstrates how there is an underlying problem that goes beyond a seemingly harmless “practical joke.”
Sometimes senior officers, when interviewing women, ask them whether they are going to “sleep with everyone” because of their gender. If nothing else, this demonstrates their inability to take women in the workplace seriously.
One female officer explained how they wear bulletproof vests to protect themselves from the bad guys out in the world, but what they really need is a vest to protect themselves from the bad guys inside their own organization. Unfortunately, nothing will change until the RCMP realizes there is more than one dimension to the problem; not only is there discrimination and harassment against female officers, but there is also a male-dominated hierarchy that prevents many of them from achieving their full potential.
Within the institution, there appears to be subtle structures that exist and work in favour of men. Since male officers usually run the system and have positions of power, they help one another in the process of attaining administrative positions. This, along with other attitudes towards female officers, creates obstacles caused mainly by the male officers with power in the organization — obstacles that existed within the RCMP in 1975 and exist even after 37 years of women’s successful contributions to the Force.
Today, about 18 per cent of all police officers in Canada are women, and though it is a vast improvement from
1975, an increase in the number of female officers does not necessarily mean they have achieved greater equality. In a study comparing the percentage of active female officers amongst 27 countries, Canada ranked seventh, but what is the merit of ranking so high if women’s working conditions are far from what they should be?
It is essential to look beyond the increasing number of women involved in law enforcement and instead demand accountability from a system that fails to protect its own.
In an attempt to get to the bottom of these issues, the RCMP has hired Insp. Carol Bradley, who is developing a number of different initiatives to better deal with harassment. One of the initiatives posts harassment advisers posted across the province of BC and provides new tools for employees to confidentially report any problems with their colleagues or superiors.
As good as this initiative may be, it is important to recognize that though advisers might be a good first step, how are these advisors going to help if one of the main concerns is the lack of consequences and accountability? Female officers all across Canada are seeking a fair and safe environment to work in, and by failing to shift its rooted ideologies, the RCMP’s attempts will simply have a Band-Aid effect.
The daunting question is whether change is possible, and if so, how can it be achieved? Not all women may be suited to do jobs of this nature, but it is also important to emphasize that not all men are suited for the job either; it has nothing to do with gender.
It is time to demystify the so-called acceptance of women into a field of work traditionally reserved for men — such as law enforcement — by differentiating the relationship between allowing women to be part of a male-dominated occupation and enabling them to achieve equality.
The over whelming patriarchal attitudes and male chauvinism call for immediate action not only from the RCMP, but also from police authorities all around the world. This facade that Canada has been able to maintain by being seventh in the world has to be unveiled
— this ranking hides a disturbing reality.
