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.

  • Todd Bonzalez
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    1 month ago

    Male colleagues would even walk around the crew room with their penis sticking through the zip of their trousers and their pockets turned out. They’d swing it and sing Nelly The Elephant.

    Holy shit is there a word for when you recognize that something is completely and undeniably reprehensible, but also completely fucking hilarious if you remove the problematic context?

    Like, I would do this to my wife. Scratch that, I’m gonna do this to my wife and she’s gonna think it’s funny.

    But, obviously, don’t do this to your co-workers, or really anyone that hasn’t given you prior consent to swing your dick around…