The dream of women soldiers

THE EDITOR: As a proud citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I write this letter and ask you to publish it. I am asking the women from all the services to come forward to say enough is enough with sexual harassment, abuse and victimisation. I know of individuals who were employed with the Ministry of National Security for a year. Finally those individuals’ dream came true when they were accepted in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. When they entered sexual advances were made to them from certain senior and junior officers. They declined to have sex with these officers, and were forced to leave under the condition of implied indiscipline, insubordination and being medically unfit etc.

There are no female officers they could have confided in, because they themselves were past victims of these sick men. And they would have been victimised again when promotion time comes up. To make matters worse, there was not even one senior female officer to appeal to. There are only female corporals and privates, many of whom cannot help themselves from being victimised by senior male officers. Just imagine up to this day they are slaves getting paid. It hurts to know that these men have female relatives such as mothers, wives, daughters, nieces etc. But as the saying goes what goes around comes around. What are they to do when they are the sole breadwinners of their families? Why must these sick men try to take bread from their mouths?

They as women are being victimised for trying to be good law-abiding citizens. They are expected to defend their country from all the criminal elements in the nation which they are proud to do, and at the same time the ones within the Defence Force who try to lower their self-esteem, demoralise and make them victims. Editor, some officers in the Defence Force only want sexual favours, and if they do get it, they invite their friends, like a free for all house party. Why must these young women go through this to say that they are soldiers? Sorry, they will not live their dreams of becoming a soldier because they would not succumb to these sick men. The saddest thing is the Chief of Defence Force and the Minister of National Security do not have a clue about what is going on, and they are the ones in charge of security in this nation. If their home is not in order, how could this country ever be in order. After you have published this letter Editor, I sincerely hope a thorough investigation takes place to prevent this form of harassment.

PHYLLIS SIMMONS
Barataria