‘Sexist culture of groping and naked pictures’ exposed at BMA
FEMALE doctors have accused senior members of the British Medical Association of sending unsolicited naked pictures and joking about women’s bra sizes, amid a culture of “institutional sexism”.
Medics said they were speaking up as part of the Metoo movement, warning that they had suffered harassment, sexism and discriminatory behaviour which must be stamped out.
Women on BMA committees said they had been called “naughty girls” and other belittling names, describing incidents in which senior women were groped and sexually propositioned.
In an article for Gponline.com, two female doctors from the BMA’S GP committee said it was time to “open the lid” on an outdated culture which had forced out many women who should have progressed.
Dr Zoe Norris and Dr Katie Bramallstainer said it was time to call out the “misogynistic behaviour” of those leading the profession, recounting a string of incidents.
One woman on the 77-strong GP committee (GPC) was reported to feel unable to attend events away from home without a family member to accompany her, after being propositioned by a male colleague.
Another doctor said a male colleague had sent her a naked photograph of himself, unsolicited. And another overheard two senior committee members attempting to guess the bra size of a female committee member.
Dr Norris said: “I have never experienced the level of sexism and discrimination in my entire career that I have in the GPC.”
Although female GPS outnumber male GPS in the NHS, women are outnumbered 2-1 on the committee representing them.
In the article, the two doctors said: “The time is now to blow open the lid on this outdated culture and give credence and time to those whose voices have been silenced: the lost leaders.”
They said female GPS had been “sexually propositioned after presenting a keynote speech”, frozen out of key events and subjected to innuendo and groping.
Calling for a wholesale shift away from a sexist culture, they describe: “The squeezing of the thighs. The patting of the bottoms. The incessant nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
“There must be a wholesale culture shift away from drinking and dinners, taps on the shoulder to take on roles, under-the-breath comments, factions and back-stabbing.”
Dr Norris said she had avoided “naming and shaming” colleagues over sexism because of fears over how she would be treated.
In the article, they said: “Both of us have held prominent GPC roles; we won’t in the future, largely because of the experiences we have had at the hands of some colleagues.”
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA chairman, said: “I am appalled to hear of the treatment my colleagues describe and of similarly unacceptable behaviours.”
“‘I want to say I’m sorry for them, and offer my heartfelt apologies on behalf of the whole association.”
Dr Nagpaul, a GP who led the GPC committee until becoming chairman of the BMA, promised to launch an urgent investigation into the allegations.
He said: “Abusive behaviour has no place in the BMA and I recognise the courage that it takes to come forward with such allegations.
“Let me be clear: sexist, disrespectful, discriminatory and abusive behaviour will not be tolerated in this association and must be stamped out.”