By Sarah Atherton

MP for Wrexham

Last week my report into the experiences of women in the Armed Forces and female veterans launched. This report was the culmination of a ground-breaking inquiry that gave women who serve or have served in our Armed Forces a voice. For the first time military women were allowed to give evidence to the committee, after the Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace lifted the restrictions which normally prohibit serving personnel from speaking to Parliamentarians. The inquiry allowed the Defence Select Committee to better understand what was going right for our female military personnel and, crucially, what has also been going wrong. The report made 35 recommendations to the Ministry of Defence so that the women in our Armed Forces can be better protected and have better experiences in the military.

A major take home from the inquiry was that ninety percent of those that responded to our survey said that they would recommend the Armed Forces as a career for a woman – as I do. The Army gave me, a multitude of opportunities that have stood me in excellent stead throughout my life. My military years were formative, and I too would recommend a career in the military for all women. However, that does not mean we should stand still and ignore the issues that some women face whilst serving in our Armed Forces, such as ill-fitting kit made for men, barriers to promotion, bullying, harassment, discrimination and sometimes serious sexual assault. Indeed, 62% of women that we spoke to said they had experienced some form of abuse whilst serving. Clearly, there is work to be done to tackle this.

As the only female Member of Parliament with a regular military background, it was an honour to have chaired such an inquiry. The report was launched only a week ago, but it has already started an important conversation about how we protect those who protect us. Since becoming the Member of Parliament for Wrexham in 2019, I promised to stand up for our Armed Forces and veterans and this report continues this.

More widely, I am also pleased that this Conservative UK Government is fulfilling the manifesto promises we were elected on. I was proud to stand on a manifesto that pledged to continue the fight against the perpetrators of violence against women and girls and I am proud that the Government is fulfilling this. For example, the recently published Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy was published to ensure women and girls are safe everywhere - at home, online and on the streets. The strategy will increase support for victims and survivors, increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice and to reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the long-term.

As part of this strategy a ‘Safety of Women at Night’ Fund has been announced which will complement the ‘Safer Streets’ Fund to make sure violence against women and girls in public places is prevented. This fund will focus on the prevention of violence against women by targeting areas where women may feel unsafe such as parks and alleyways, or routes from bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. In Wrexham, I have already been working with the local Policing team to support their ‘Safer Streets’ Fund application which will make sure women and girls in Wrexham can feel safe wherever they are in our town.

Whilst I am all too aware of the barriers and issues many women in Wrexham and the United Kingdom do still face, I am also determined to be a part of the solution. My report on women’s experiences in the Armed Forces can certainly do this and I will continue to support this Government’s wider strategies too, so all women can feel safe.