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Sebastienne Lawton

Sebastienne Lawton was a solider in the british army who claims she was forced to leave after being subjected to sexual discrimination.

When Sebastienne Lawton joined the 3rd Battalion of the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire - the Yorkies - at the age of 26, it caused "a lot of raised eyebrows".

"The first question they always asked was, 'What does your husband think of you being in the Army?'" she tells BBC News.

And when male colleagues found out she was single, they often accused her of enlisting just to meet men.

After Sebastienne transferred to the 4th Battalion - away from the regiment's Administration HQ, she started to feel even more isolated.

"They were much more macho and less open to women being around.

"Sexist banter permeates the whole of the Army - but some units are definitely worse than others, and in the infantry there is a smaller proportion of women.

"We got on really well and I let the banter go over my head - although some of it was a bit heavy.

"I was asked what sexual positions I liked - it upset me, but I didn't let it show because I wanted to get along with everyone.

"For them it's funny and you're supposed to laugh and if you don't you haven't got a sense of humour."

But the jokes soon turned sour.

One of her male colleagues asked Sebastienne for her home telephone number, dialled it and then hung up when her mother answered.

Sebastienne finally lost her temper. Her colleague reacted by throwing the phone at her.

There was an officer in the room but he didn't do anything."

Having shown her vulnerability, Sebastienne increasingly found herself being verbally bullied .

"A sergeant told me I was too sensitive.

"He would try to belittle me and make me out to be stupid all the time."

Her colleagues soon followed suit.

"They would have a dig - not nastily, but always making a joke out of me.

Their attitude was you had to put up with it or leave


"They would stop talking when I walked in.

"It can quickly turn sour and when it did I suddenly lost my allies and felt very isolated.

"I would not have been bullied if I had been a man."

Sebastienne complained to senior officers but found them unsympathetic.

"Their attitude was you had to put up with it or leave."

Eventually she was transferred away.

"They should have dealt with the problem - but their solution was to move the woman, which just perpetuates the problem for the next woman."

Sebastienne was transferred to the Intelligence Corps, where there is a greater proportion of women.

"The consensus is women tend to be more suited to less physical tasks - security, interrogations, communications.

"They're pushed into administrative roles, become secretaries or medics.

Sebastienne finally left the Army - after five years' service - when she was sexually harassed by a medical officer.

"He told me to undress, then chatted me up for 10 minutes.

"He commented on my looks and even asked for my telephone number.

"Then, under the pretext of examining my fingernails, he began stroking my hands.

"His behaviour was totally inappropriate - but he was a high-ranking officer in the Medical Corps and I was told, 'You can't complain.'"

Her request to see a female doctor was refused and when she failed to attend her next appointment she was confronted by the full fury of an officer.

"He didn't give me a chance to explain. I was in tears and he was just screaming at me, 'Perhaps you would like to leave the Army'."

Sebastienne decided then and there to do just that. She also left the country and now lives in France, where she teaches English for a living.

"In the Army you're not supposed to question anything - but you can't change things from the outside.

"Many privates and non-commissioned officers don't hide the fact they don't like the idea of women in the Army.


The case seems to underline major problems in the British army and a culture that is far from professional.

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