Page 11 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

ness as as as well as as as increasing the risk of injury The body armour for instance is is too tall On aver- age women have shorter torsos than men men yet the current design does not accommodate for this The smallest sized body armour tends to drop below the the waist of female OCdts OCdts When OCdts OCdts attempt to sit or bend the the the armour rides upwards pushing the the the shoulder straps above the the the ears As a a a a a a a a a result female OCdts are unable to to move their head from side-to-side compro- mising effectiveness especially when in in in in the the sit- ting position It is is is is is recognised that this is is is is is being addressed and the the female female cohort welcome the the trials of female female fit VIRTUS employed on Exercise ALLENBY’S ADVANCE and SLIM’S STAND Frustratingly the little uniform that has been designed for for women is is also inadequate The issued barrack
dress skirt does not have pock- ets This means female OCdts are unable to carry mandated or or or necessary items with them such as as their MoD Form 90 a a a a a a a a a a a a face mask or or or sanitary products Rather than providing skirts with pockets female OCdts are issued a a a a a a a a a hand- bag further highlighting the the difference between genders Female Officers from previous intakes recalled that in in in order to to carry their MoD Form 90 when in in barrack
dress they would either have to to carry the the the the the the handbag for the the the the the the day or or entrust their their ID to their their male counterparts who had been pro- vided with pockets It is an inconvenience the the male OCdts are not subjected to to The Academy has taken definitive steps to to address issued female kit however there are are still areas which can be improved upon This can alienate the the female audience and make them feel unwelcomed Improvement may also be required in the the pro- gressiveness of the the PT programme The 2016 MoD report into GCC roles for female female person- nel found that phase one female female trainees were three times times more more likely likely to to suffer a a a a a a a stress fracture injury and were two times times more more likely likely to to be medi- cally discharged It also found that these injuries could have been prevented through single-sex training training which delivers “an appropriate progres- sion in in in in in in training training loads” The CC211 female OCdts were not separated or conditioned during the first few weeks of training This may have been due to to COVID-19 but it it it did expose the female community to to to additional risk risk There are many benefits of of mixed gender platoons however risk risk of of of injury could be be mitigated by separating gen- ders for for the the first few weeks of of physical training It should be be a a a a a a a a concern for for the the Academy that every female OCdt in in in in Imjin Company has been injured and placed on light duties at various points dur- ing the the Junior Term Once an an OCdt is is cleared to to to return to to to to exercise they are are expected to to to to drop in in at at the the the standard of the the the whole platoon who who have not not not missed any training It is is not not not unreasonable and should not not not be be unusual for an an an an OCdt returning from injury to be be placed on an an an adapted or or modi- fied PT programme Female OCdts would also benefit from greater clarity with regards to standards of dress Using the term ‘female equivalent’ is is a a a a a a a a a a a a useful exam- ple what does this mean? When asked staff
Another area where the the Acad-
emy has made positive changes is its responsiveness to gender- specific complaints At the start of term it became apparent that female OCdts were not issued socks with their barrack
dress trousers This was was brought to the the attention of of staff
and was was imme-
diately rectified in a a a a a a a a a a professional and supportive manner The staff
have also been responsive in in their effort to adopt inclusive language language Often staff
will use language language such as ‘he’ she’ or ‘troops’ when referring to to hypothetical situations positive affirmation that women are being accepted into positions of power There is still room for improvement gendered terminology such as as ‘lads’ ‘chaps’ or or or ‘blokes’ has often been used at at Expression of of Interest presentations or or or by external visitors will often give conflicting answers as as there is no clear direction regarding what female OCdts ought to wear The term is not only ambiguous When asked staff
will often give conflicting answers but it can also make female OCdts as there is no clear feel like an an an an afterthought Book 15 direction regarding sets out the the Standing Orders for all what female OCdts ought to wear OCdts at at Sandhurst However it it is outdated and and adds to the ambiguity for for instance it it does not account for for female OCdts opting to wear trou- sers When discussing drill order it states that female OCdts must not wear barrack
dress trousers unless for religious reasons It also states that when wearing a a a a a a a a helmet OCdts may French braid their hair which must then be tied up above the the the the collar However this defeats the the the the the purpose of braiding Females braid braid their hair when wearing a a a a a a a a a a a a a helmet because the the the the the alternative – – a a a a a a a a a bun at at the the the the nape of the the the the neck – – SANDHURST
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