After $900M Military Sexual Misconduct Settlement, Women Say They’re Still Being Ignored

Women who were sexually harassed and assaulted by members of the Canadian Armed Forces say they have been asking for specific protections for women in the military for the last four years, and are still waiting for change.

Speaking before a House of Commons committee on the Status of Women Thursday, Christine Wood, a member of military sexual trauma service group It’s Just 700 said victims of sexual misconduct in the military have been ignored, CBC reported.

“The burnout and the pain is palpable,” she reportedly told the committee. “And it should not be up to us to keep sending the same message, year after year after year. We have engaged in many meaningful consultations.”

The committee is looking into the impact of sexual misconduct in the military on women who are both serving and who have returned to civilian life, CBC reported.

Wood slammed the government’s support of women so far, saying that despite having recommended an independent agency for reporting sexual violence years ago, it had still not been put in place.

Survivors had also been asking for a national online peer support program for victims and separate in-patient psychiatric care when necessary — both of which they were still waiting on.

“To be clear, we are asking for the same supports we were asking for four years ago,” Wood said. 

The hearings were prompted by allegations of inappropriate behaviour by the country’s top military commander, Admiral Art McDonald, and his predecessor, Gen. Jonathan Vance, CBC reported. The House of Commons defence committee is holding a separate, concurrent investigation.

Former master corporal Stephanie Raymond — who was assaulted in 2011 by a superior non-commissioned officer — also repeated her call for an independent reporting agency to handle sexual violence cases in the military on Thursday, CBC reported.

The investigations come after It’s Just 700 led a class action lawsuit against the federal government over sexual misconduct in the military which resulted in a settlement agreement in 2019. 

Along with another class action lawsuit against the government for sexual misconduct in the military, the government settled for $900 million. 

Seven former Canadian Armed Forces members filed the sexual misconduct class action lawsuits in 2016 and 2017 over allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation during their service in the Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defence, and Non-Public Funds Canadian Forces.

The lawsuits were certified and the proposed settlement was approved in 2019. According to the Armed Forces class action lawsuits, it created a culture that condones sexual assault and sexual harassment of both male and female members.

The plaintiffs alleged the culture is due to the failure of leadership to appropriately train members and failure to identify, report, investigate and properly resolve incidents of sexual misconduct.

Armed Forces Class Members will receive up to $800 million and other Class Members will receive up to $100 million. For more information on the settlement, click here. 

What do you think about the Armed Forces’ actions after claims of a culture of sexual violence? Let us know in the comments.

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