Culture change, at last

In 2015, former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps released a report on the appalling levels of sexual harassment and assaults within the military.

She found women in uniform had to cope with a corrosive, misogynistic workplace and that the military was openly hostile toward gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people.

The toxic culture sapped morale and scared off recruits who were regularly told to “stop being p------.”

Now the military is on a major recruiting drive to attract those very same people, along with visible minorities. The goal, under a dramatic revamp of the armed forces announced earlier this month, is to boost both the ranks of the regular force and reserves — and, most importantly, to have its members better reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

For women and LGBTQ people who have read Deschamps’ report, the military’s invitation may seem unappealing. Many will understandably balk at the prospect of entering a workplace where they’re likely to be harassed and abused.

Yet the recruitment drive is just one of several reasons to believe that, after decades of inaction, things may finally be changing.

Under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance, which began in the summer of 2015, shortly after Deschamps’ report was released, the military has taken significant strides to transform its misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ culture.

In one of his first acts in his new role, Vance announced he planned to stamp out behaviour that devalues people on the basis of gender, sexuality or orientation. Under his zero-tolerance edict, those found guilty of sexual misconduct would lose their command or supervisory roles, or be dismissed entirely from the armed forces, he said.

In the short time since then, he has stayed true to his commitment to culture change.

First he launched “Operation Honour” with a view to promoting “heightened awareness” of the issue and opened a Sexual Misconduct Response Centre to encourage complainants to come forward without fear of reprisal.

Then he ordered a 1-per-cent increase in female recruits each year until they make up 25 per cent of the force, up from the 15 per cent they represent now.

And he committed to measuring the problem — and, significantly, to making the results public.

We have not yet seen the outcomes of most of these efforts, and clearly there’s much more to be done. But in the meantime, Vance has shown he means business.

If this recruitment drive succeeds in creating a military that’s more inclusive, diverse and attractive to all Canadians, the culture change Vance has been driving from the top down will take place all that more quickly from within.

This is not simply a matter of social justice, but also “an operational requirement,” as Alan Okros, a diversity expert at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, told the Star earlier this week.

“This idea that people with different views, different experiences, different skill sets are going to make the military stronger has been kind of coalescing,” he said.

Vance’s push is a long-overdue attempt to create, yes, a military free of discrimination and abuse, but also one that better represents us so it might better defend us.