Friday, September 30, 2022

Harassment on ice

The news story this morning:

Australians sent to work in Antarctica have complained about a widespread and predatory culture of sexual harassment with unwelcome requests for sex, taunting, displays of offensive pornography and homophobia.
surprises me a little, because I would have assumed that the problem would have been recognised and dealt with by strong leadership (and psychological assessment) long before now.   I mean, I assume that all people go through a selection process that includes psych assessment, and I would also assume that part of that would include questions like "How do you think you will handle the isolation and the effect that it may have on your sex life?  Do you expect to find a sexual partner there?"

In fact, I have a recollection of reading somewhere, many years ago, a woman who had gone there who said something like "You just go there expecting to face some competitive sexual tension amongst the men until you chose one of them to sleep with.  Then it settles down."   It surprised me for its pragmatism, but I thought "well, it would seem there are some well know issues for women who go there."

Is it perhaps that women have simply decided they do not have to put up with that anymore - perhaps an ongoing effect of the MeToo  movement?


1 comment:

Not Trampis said...

the I can have sex with anyone I want confronting consent and it becomes very problematic for secular people.