The Conference: “Challenges of the military organizational culture in the face 
of sexual harassment and abuse” 

With the purpose of analyzing the challenges posed by addressing sexual harassment and abuse in military institutions both in the institutional and academic spheres, this Monday, September 2, the discussion “Challenges of military organizational culture in the face of sexual harassment and abuse” was held, with the participation of researchers from the Defense and Security Network of Latin America (RESDAL) and the Institute of High National Studies (IAEN) of Ecuador.

The meeting took place in the framework of the project “Women in Peace Operations: Supporting Inclusive Environments through Interregional Collaboration and National Engagement”, supported by Global Affairs Canada.

“This project aims to promote safe and inclusive environments for women in uniform,” said Elisa Rial, RESDAL’s program officer, who explained that as part of the implementation of the first phase of the RESDAL project she invited IAEN as a strategic partner to participate in the collection of information from contributing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dr. Roxana Arroyo, Dean of International Relations at IAEN, highlighted the relevance of the topic discussed, which is in line with the line of research of her center of higher studies on human rights and gender.

After the debate, the moderator of the meeting, RESDAL researcher Dr. Dolores Bermeo, immediately gave way to the first speaker.

A complex topic approached from the perspective of organizational culture

Dr. Rosita Chacón of Ecuador, Major of Justice in Passive Service, explained at the beginning of her presentation that the increase of women in the military ranks is part of the processes of institutional changes within the military institutions.

For Chacón, sexual harassment and abuse in the military ranks is a complex issue to address, but it can be analyzed from the point of view of organizational culture, which includes two levels: the military vision that promotes the cohesion of its members and the commitment to the institution through the fulfillment of institutional principles and values, as well as military virtues; and the vision of human rights, a framework on which institutional practices are designed or should be designed.

The problem is difficult to investigate and is linked to two very important aspects, according to the expert. First, the unequal relations of power and decision-making based on gender; and second, subordination to command and to the military superior, taking into account that within the work environment, the military career is based on respect for hierarchy, rank, due obedience and the military spirit.

“Certain invisible behaviors within the military ranks lead to assume that gender violence comes mainly from men, as a naturalized and almost accepted practice. But when this violence occurs among military women, it is not considered harmful. In both cases, a psychological evaluation or medical treatment is generally given to the victim, who is almost always of a lower hierarchical rank,” said Chacón.

In the forms of interaction between superiors, equals and subordinates, where treatment must be differentiated, both horizontally and vertically, there may be cases of gender-based violence, discrimination, sexual abuse or harassment in the workplace. These situations of discrimination and violence, which can be physical, verbal or non-verbal (symbolic violence) are addressed not only in military legislation, but also by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

“Norms, public policy, resolutions, affirmative actions, protocols, good institutional gender practices do not by themselves change the reality of the institutions, but they do contribute to the improvement of that organizational culture, which, in turn, will positively transform those internal behaviors, patterns and practices, as long as those sectorized gender policies are complemented with strategies to materialize and operationalize them,” she added.

Based on her experience, Chacón said that military women give their testimonies when they have the opportunity to speak freely in interviews, workshops, gender focus groups, anonymous questionnaires, among other scenarios. There, they state that they encounter sexist language, double or paternalistic intentions, inappropriate body gestures and psychological harassment.

According to the researcher and teacher, it is important to deploy mechanisms of attention, containment and intervention in the face of events of this type “because, as the victim is the only one visible and the harasser-aggressor is largely absent, she usually feels very lonely and helpless, in addition to distrust in the technical handling of the investigation of the cases”.

The increase of women in peace operations is one of the objectives to be achieved, said Chacón, who considered that women peacekeepers interact better with women, which generates a bond of empathy that favors the creation of early warning networks. These networks then become sources of information that are transformed into intelligence and help monitor hostile scenarios.

“Insist that the inclusion of women goes beyond allowing their numerical entry. We must guarantee their permanence in the military ranks to achieve their professional military career plan, in conjunction with an adequate work environment free of sexual abuse or harassment,” he stressed.
Regarding the challenges facing the military organizational culture, Chacón stressed that progress must be made in the creation of gender focal points or immediate response committees, since the procedural immediacy required for the protection of human rights is fundamental. “The protocols in force need to be updated because the way in which cases are dealt with and their effectiveness are being questioned,” she said.

The case of Argentina

To frame the theme of the meeting in the case of Argentina, Cecilia Mazzotta, a graduate in International Relations and RESDAL researcher, outlined the background that makes up the legal and legislative framework that addresses violence against women, such as Law No. 26,485/09 and Law No. 27,499/19, as well as international treaties with constitutional hierarchy.

Mazzotta explained that the Code of Military Justice in Argentina was reformed in 2008 and entered into force the following year. The new regulations included disciplinary sanctions for sexual harassment and abuse of military personnel. These are considered serious and very serious offenses, punishable by simple or rigorous arrest or even dismissal of the personnel involved.

With the creation in 2008 of the Directorate of Gender Policies, of which Mazzotta was director, the review of all internal military regulations was promoted in order to adapt them to national legislation and international treaties through new provisions. Within this body, the formation of a Gender Policy Council made up of civilians and military personnel was an unprecedented and the most important step, according to the expert.

From there, Gender Offices were formed as a first line of containment, which are governed by a protocol of attention framework. These began first in the Air Force and then were extended to the rest of the forces until there are currently 22 Gender Offices and liaisons in the Antarctic Command and in the Joint Training Center for Peace Operations (CAECOPAZ).

In turn, the Gender Policy Directorate promoted the establishment of care and education spaces for boys and girls within military bases to help mothers and fathers reconcile their professional careers with family demands. Another national plan aimed at the protection and attention to domestic violence within the Armed Forces. However, one of the cornerstones of this body has been the processing of cases and follow-up of gender-related complaints. This led to the development of a procedural manual for the registration of reported personnel.

In 2015, an agreement was signed with the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) for the Ministry of Defense to be part of the Single Registry of Cases of Violence against Women, “another public policy that was operating on the outside, but that somehow sought to centralize and systematize all available information for the purpose of developing federal and national public policies,” the researcher recounted.

These advances over the years was supported by Circular No. 46 of 2012, issued by the General Audit Office of the Armed Forces, which established the disciplinary treatment for sexual harassment in the military. From then on, complaints no longer had to be made mandatorily through the chain of command, but could be made at the Gender Offices. In addition, the evidentiary mechanisms were expanded to include indications such as differential treatment of the victim by the aggressor, arbitrary acts committed against her or the existence of previous complaints.

Finally, among the achievements of the Argentine experience, Mazzotta highlighted the awareness of this problem and the institutionalization of the response to victims. She added that institutional changes require deeper cultural transformations if real changes and progress in terms of equality are to be achieved. The expert emphasized that incorporating the gender perspective and preventing harassment is based on the strategic, operational and tactical modernization of the military instrument.

Strengthening the institutional framework and prevention

In opening the round of questions from RESDAL researchers, María Lorena Merizalde, a candidate for a doctorate in law and master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Enforcement from Ecuador, pointed out that although there are human rights and gender departments within the Armed Forces, she has observed the absence of a body or unit that focuses on the treatment of victims. In addition, she stressed that it should be remembered that the conviction rates for these crimes within the military and police are low.

In this regard, Chacón considered that first we have to declare the existence of the victim. Since if no one is declared as a victim, the cases are diluted in time, and since there is no victim, there can be no treatment for the victim. Then we fall back into an obstacle of the military organizational culture. Mazzotta, for her part, pointed out that in Argentina, leave is granted for gender violence so that the victim can carry out the corresponding procedures and complaints. She also explained that the Gender Offices accompany the victim to file a complaint in a criminal court “because many times it is something that exceeds the disciplinary offense and also corresponds to a sanction within the national criminal framework”.

Wajid Zahid from Pakistan, Master in Philosophy and researcher at RESDAL, asked how military institutions can implement effective policies and programs to prevent sexual harassment and abuse. Mazzotta stated that training and sensitization within the institution are preventive measures, hence the importance of institutions promoting such measures. However, she raised the challenges of evaluating whether or not this sensitization is effective, recognizing that there are things that can only be evaluated over time, they cannot be evaluated immediately.

Igor Novaes Lins from Brazil with a PhD in Political Science and RESDAL researcher observed that “Given the covert nature of many practices of sexual abuse and harassment in military institutions, what are the most effective strategies to monitor and document them, what measures can I as a researcher adopt to protect women victims and guarantee their safety?”

In this regard Chacón considered that women from the moment they file a complaint are subject to risks of retaliation, of being disqualified even by their bodies. “We can combat this by strengthening the institutional framework, both regulatory and enforcement. And this, of course, correlates with preventive processes. What can save us here is prevention,” said the Ecuadorian expert. “It is imperative to provide institutional security so that the victim feels free to report,” agreed Mazzotta, who also believes it is important to have a highly trained team.

In the final part of the event, Dolores Bermeo summarized that addressing sexual harassment and abuse in military institutions through research is a challenge in itself, mainly due to the particularities of military institutions such as the organizational culture, as Dr. Rosita Chacón addressed. Likewise, defense institutions are faced with the task of advancing in the implementation of policies oriented to prevention, but mainly not to let fall the achievements reached in this matter, as Cecilia Mazzota emphasized.

Dolores Bermeo concluded that the States have the mission to generate safe working environments and strengthen mechanisms aimed at preventing such actions that go against military discipline and values, but mainly against the rights of women enshrined in international instruments.