‘You will never be as good as we are’: a qualitative study of women paramedics’ experiences of sex-based harassment in an Australian ambulance service

OBJECTIVES: Sex-based harassment remains a pernicious and pervasive problem in organisations, as evidenced by the recent #MeToo movement. Little is known about how this issue affects women in the paramedic profession. This study explores the sex-based harassment experiences of women working in a large Australian ambulance service, focusing on harassment from co-workers and managers. METHODS: Long-form, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with women paramedics (n = 30) as part of a larger qualitative study of the careers and work experiences of women paramedics. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and thematic data analysis was employed to develop rich descriptions of paramedics’ experiences. RESULTS: Of the 30 participants, 25 had experienced sex-based harassment from male colleagues. Most commonly this took the form of gender harassment – that is, comments and jokes designed to belittle and demean women on the basis of their gender. Several participants experienced sexualised forms of harassment, including unwelcome sexual attention and propositions. Participants expressed reluctance to report the behaviour through organisational channels because of the perceived futility of doing so and the potential for reprisals and career repercussions. The preferred responses to harassment were informal, and included avoidance, humour, direct appeals and work withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: Sex-based harassment has a range of damaging consequences for victims and the organisations in which they work. This study is the first to explore how Australian women paramedics experience sex-based harassment in their work. The study has implications for policy and practice to improve gender equality within ambulance services and highlights the need for further research into the extent and nature of the problem across the paramedic profession.