OTTAWA – The RCMP announced a crucial step forward in the organization’s quest for diversity, as Muslim women in uniform will now be allowed to wear their traditional headscarves as they receive unwelcome sexual overtures from their male colleagues.
“It is time to respect the cultural and religious diversity of our team,” said RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson. “From now on, female officers of the Islamic faith can come to work knowing that male officers – including their superiors – will continue to make sexually explicit suggestions, comments and jokes, regardless of their religious attire.”
“The RCMP believes in freedom, inclusivity, and an unrelentingly hostile work environment for women,” he added.
The alteration of the RCMP’s uniform code is the first since the 1990s, when Sikh officers were allowed to wear turbans, while the sexual harassment of women dates back at least as far the bomb squad training session when RCMP supervisors walked around naked and hazed female cadets. Although no officers had actually requested to wear the hijab with their uniform yet, many RCMP personnel said they were happy with the change.
“It’s nice to know that I work for an organization that will adapt to changing times, as long as that does not involve cracking down on institutional sexism or rape culture,” said Angelique Schmidt.
Photo: Flickr / Taken by Evan Goldenberg CC by 2.0 via http://bit.ly/2bRreUS
