More than 60% of women serving in Germany’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) have experienced sexual harassment or abuse during their military service, according to a study within the Bundeswehr.
The survey, conducted by the Center for Military, History and Social Sciences in Potsdam was published on November 11 and gathered responses from around 4,000 female soldiers.
Its findings revealed several forms of misconduct, ranging from sexually suggestive remarks to physical attacks and sexual violence.
Nearly 40% of the women who took part said they had been subjected to sexualized comments or inappropriate remarks.
Another 15% reported being targeted through images taken without their consent, some of which were subsequently manipulated using artificial intelligence.
More than 8% said they experienced unwanted physical advances or attacks, and 2% reported being victims of explicit sexual violence.
Around one-third of the respondents said they did not report the misconduct, or would refrain from doing so, because they lacked trust in their superiors and were uncertain whether complaints would be properly investigated.
“The extent of sexualised misconduct far exceeds the known reporting figures,” Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement. He also described the figures as “unacceptable.”
“Zero tolerance applies to sexual harassment within the Bundeswehr,” Pistorius said, adding that the survey would be conducted annually.
According to the Defence Ministry, 45,000 current and former members of the armed forces were invited to participate in the survey, with only 18% responding.
The findings come as Germany seeks to strengthen its military capabilities. Military leaders have set a target of increasing the number of active-duty personnel to 260,000 and building a reserve force of 200,000 by 2035.
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