Australian Women Soldiers Launch Landmark Case Against Military Over Sexual Abuse, Harassment

Last Updated:October 24, 2025, 17:53 IST

Four Australian servicewomen launched a landmark lawsuit against the Australian military, alleging sexual abuse, harassment and gender discrimination.

Australian servicewomen have alleged sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination in the military. (Representative Image/AP)

Four Australian servicewomen have launched a landmark lawsuit against the Australian military, with shocking allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and gender discrimination. The case against the Australian Defence Force (ADF) was filed in the Federal Court on Friday.

The woman levelled shocking allegations against the military in the class action lawsuit, including being forcibly pinned to a wall before being groped, and waking up naked and bruised after a party with male officers, reported the BBC.

Law firm JGA Saddler lodged the suit, with all women who served in the military between November 12, 2003, and May 25, 2025, eligible to join the case. Meanwhile, an ADF spokesperson said it was developing a sexual misconduct prevention strategy and there was “no place for sexual violence" in the army.

Sexist Comments, Unwanted Touching

One of the lead applicants, a member of the Australian air force, alleged that she was subject to hostile and sexist comments and was also shown unsolicited pornographic photographs. She alleged her sergeant told her that “women shouldn’t be paid as much as men because they are not as strong."

Another applicant from the Navy said she was subject to lewd comments and unwanted touching throughout her training. The applicant said she was grabbed and kissed by a colleague while on duty abroad.

Another member of the air force who is not one of the four lead applicants, has alleged she regularly experienced harassment, misogyny and sexism. She was forced to work alongside a colleague whom she had made a complaint against while a military investigation was carried out but was ultimately told there was not enough evidence to go forward with a prosecution, according to The Guardian.

Last year, a report into suicide among Australian veterans found that about 800 reports of sexual assault were made within the ADF between 2019 and 2024, with an estimated 605 under-reporting rate for sexual assault in the military.

“The threat of war often isn’t the biggest safety fear for female ADF personnel, it is the threat of sexual violence in their workplace," said lawyer Josh Aylward. “They have signed up to defend their country, not to fight off fellow ADF personnel on a daily basis, all while simply trying to do their job."

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

Read More

News world Australian Women Soldiers Launch Landmark Case Against Military Over Sexual Abuse, Harassment

Read More