SES women share experiences of sexism, inappropriate behaviour in Queensland as previously blocked report released

Warning: This story contains details of sexual harassment allegations some readers may find distressing.

A review into State Emergency Service (SES) member experiences, which Queensland Police previously refused to release, has heard allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and pockets of "boys' clubs" operating throughout the state.

It comes as the ABC has spoken with several female SES volunteers who say they have been shown pornographic images, asked to have threesomes and exposed to other sexist behaviour.

The review — obtained by the ABC through a Right to Information request — was commissioned shortly before SES had transitioned from the Queensland Fire Department to Queensland Police in early 2024.

It interviewed 140 SES members and identified examples of "unacceptable behaviours", which it said were often perpetrated by a small number of individuals and groups, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, bullying, stalking and other forms of online harassment, inappropriate language, jokes, conversations and innuendo and discriminatory comments.

The report broadly warned SES leaders they "may be vulnerable to being found vicariously liable for the unacceptable behaviours perpetrated by volunteers and staff members, should an incident be reported externally".

"As it currently stands, the SES leadership may struggle to demonstrate that they have taken 'all reasonable steps' or positive duty to prevent incidents of [unacceptable behaviour] from occurring," the review said.

Some SES volunteers confronted by "the worst type of behaviours" have felt reluctant to make a complaint about other members, according to the report.

"Rather than report the behaviour, volunteers who experienced incidents of unacceptable behaviour tried to move on, deal with the matter themselves, changed Groups or simply left the SES," the review said.

"Unfortunately, this enables inappropriate behaviours and any associated organisational culture to continue unchecked."

Other interviewees who reported unacceptable behaviours "found the experience sub-optimal" due to "reprisals, exclusion … [and] not being informed about the process, progress or outcome of a complaint."

'Festering under the surface'

Emily Bacchus* believes "the treatment of women in the SES is abysmal".

"It's covered up and still festering under the surface," she said.

She said she was aware of a member sharing child abuse material online, which was immediately reported. The man did not return to the SES.

Ms Bacchus said when a separate male member was spoken to about his behaviour towards women, he said: "Grow up, this is the SES, not a girls' club."

Another volunteer in another SES area, Ursula Yates*, should have several stripes on her SES uniform, denoting her qualification and experience.

Instead, she only has one after leaving her SES group.

Ms Yates said it often fell on her to pull up senior men for inappropriate behaviour.

She said one man made a sexist statement at an SES event and then repeated it online.

Ms Yates said to her knowledge, nothing was ever done about it.

She also recalled a researcher looking into women's experiences in the SES arriving to interview members.

But Ms Yates said she was told by her group there were already enough people being interviewed.

"I wanted to explain why there are not more women here," she said.

"I felt steamrolled and shut out. They stopped people like me from talking to her."

Abigail Stuart* said she also became inactive in her local SES group after a male instructor made her uncomfortable during training.

"He was staring at me and making innuendos," Ms Stuart said.

Ms Stuart said there was a "macho cowboy attitude" in her SES group.

"It was passing comments from male-dominated instructors, the mansplaining, the assumptions that you didn't know how to do things as a young female," she said.

"You felt they assumed you were a bit dumb or ditzy."

She claimed one older man would ask her to check the time on his phone, but when she'd press the button, there would be pornographic images on the screen.

'Boys' clubs'  within the SES

The research was conducted by Deanne Gibbon, former project manager of SES Volunteer Recruitment and Retention and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland.

Its remit was expanded to include the experiences of all SES volunteers in January 2024, a month after its methodology was approved by the University of Queensland.

The review said this occurred after identifying many of the challenges faced by SES women "were not gender-related and therefore considered likely to be experienced by all volunteers".

Ms Yates agreed there were cultural issues within the SES, but believed women were worse affected.

Issues identified by the review included nepotism, favouritism and risk-taking behaviour by a small number of volunteers, including speeding in SES vehicles, storing personal items such as fishing boats and personal furniture within SES facilities and not using safety harnesses while working at heights.

Remaining pockets of "boys clubs" exist within the SES, "which remain blokey, sexist and highly unwelcoming to anyone deemed unworthy of the dominant group," the review found.

"While people of all ages and genders can belong to a boys' club, the ring leaders generally tend to be men … who may hold particular, often old-fashioned or conservative views about different aspects of society and the role of people within that society."

Report will be 'instrumental' in shaping direction

In February, Queensland SES chief officer Mark Armstrong, who was appointed in June 2024, said the report "offers valuable insights to strengthen the SES and enhance the experience of our volunteers to ensure they have the resources, training and environment they need to thrive."

"This report has been, and will continue to be, instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of the SES," he said.

"Since transitioning to the QPS, the SES has made significant progress, including … implementing a learning management system [and] introducing SES values and a charter of behaviours."

An SES spokesperson said 75 recommendations were made as part of the review which were "considered and implemented where appropriate".

*Names changed to protect identities