Wider changes to uniform and clothing for female personnel to complete next year
Wider changes to uniform and clothing for female military personnel are set to be completed next year.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said the rollout of the additional changes began in the summer as it hailed "significant progress" has been made to improve the experience for women in the Armed Forces.
Each of the services had already made amendments to uniform and clothing to address women's sizing, body shape and body changes, including the development of new body armour specifically designed for women.
The announcement comes one year on from a damning report that found the military was failing to protect female personnel and to help servicewomen achieve their full potential.
In light of recommendations made in the report by MP Sarah Atherton – a veteran who was recently appointed Minister for Defence, People, Veterans and Service Families – the MOD has looked to improve uniform and equipment for female personnel, as well as a range of other changes including improving the Service Justice System.
The MOD said it has introduced a number of measures to "tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour, improve the experience for women in the Armed Forces and build trust in the Service Justice System".
The department said three new policies have been launched that "provide clearer direction to prevent and address incidents".
Watch: How one female Chinook pilot turned her life around after nearly ending it all.
The policies – Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Policy, the Zero Tolerance to Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour: A Victim/Survivor Focused Approach Policy and the Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence Strategy – will ensure the military continues to "tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour and is a place where people are proud to work and have faith in their justice system", the MOD said.
In June, the MOD introduced a range of reforms and improvements to the existing Service Complaints system for service personnel.
In order to address the recommendations regarding the investigation of serious crime the Defence Serious Crime Command was established in April and the Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU) will be fully operational by December.
Meanwhile, the Servicewomen's Health Improvement Focus Team (SHIFT) has been established to deliver a six-month programme, bringing women's health policies and initiatives into military life.
Watch: Female veterans recall facing bullying and sexual assault in new study.
As well as menstruation disposal bags and a urinary support device to help with incontinence, both currently under procurement, the MOD has published a number of blogs to normalise discussion around women's health.
According to the MOD, the blogs "received thousands of views and positive comments from servicewomen, who feel like their voices are finally being heard and acted upon".
The MOD says it has also used women-focused marketing campaigns and made greater use of servicewomen as recruiters to try and hit female recruiting targets.
Defence aims to achieve a 30% inflow of women to the Armed Forces by 2030.
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