Powerful MoD campaign aims to challenge sexual assaults
A powerful campaign launched by the Ministry of Defence aims to tackle the issue of rape in the armed forces.
The campaign, launched by the MoD this week, features a number of soldiers – both male and female – who are the victims of sexual assault.
The posters aim to disspel the idea that ‘not saying no’ is enough – with the slogan “Don’t Kid Yourself! Without consent it’s rape”.
One of the posters features someone speculating: “He’s gay, he would have been gagging for it.”
Others feature heterosexual pairings, with one soldier remarking of a woman: “Yeah, she just lay there, but I had fun.”
Army chief General Sir Nick Carter launched the campaign after a survey found a shocking 40% of women in the armed forces have received unwanted comments of a sexual nature in the past year.
An Army spokesperson said: “The Consent Campaign, which has been endorsed by Rape Crisis and Stonewall, is the latest in a number of internal initiatives that the Army has launched to ensure all of its employees act lawfully and treat each other in a way that is consistent with our values and standard.”
Katie Russell of Rape Crisis England and Wales added: “The imagery and messaging are bold, hard-hitting and, most importantly, really clear about consent.
“We are particularly pleased that the campaign is clearly addressed towards perpetrators and potential perpetrators of sexual offences, as opposed to victims and potential victims, as this places the responsibility for these crimes unambiguously where it belongs.”
