Silje Falmår received the Taboo Prize – alert to harassment in the Armed Forces

With this award, the Mental Health Council would like to praise the courage it takes to report abuse and highlight the need for change in one of Norway’s most important organizations, Reasoning state.

– Falmår’s courageous fight against injustice has taken a huge personal toll, and as he waits for his case to be processed, he feels like his life has come to a standstill. Despite this, he remained steadfast in the fight to improve legal security for women serving in the military, at great personal sacrifice, said Secretary General Tove Gundersen of the Mental Health Council.

Silje Falmår served her first service in the Army and Stridstrenbataljonen in 2021 and 2022. She filed a notice in June 2021, and then tried repeatedly to report sexual harassment and three rapes on behalf of eleven female soldiers, including herself.

But the notice did not trigger any changes in Falmår’s daily life – other than freezing and isolation, according to the Mental Health Board.

Today, Falmår is 22 years old and still awaiting a decision, despite the fact that defense chief Eirik Kristoffersen lamented the freeze and isolation following the media storm that occurred after the case became public via NRK’s ​​coverage.

– A young woman had to put her education and career on hold while she waited for a decision and clarification on her own case. He also chose to be open about events and processes, which gives us different insight into a management culture and system that had significant deficiencies regarding diversity and safety, Gundersen said.

In a press release about the award, the Mental Health Council wrote that although the defense chief called Falmår a “brave” man and that his story “moved deep within his soul”, he still stood without conclusion in the award. violation reporting cases.

– The basic task that the defense sector must complete is to defend Norway. It’s about security. So employees and military conscripts must feel safe in the work environment. This also applies to young women, Gundersen said.

In the Norwegian Armed Forces survey on bullying and sexual harassment (MOST) in 2022, 30 percent of women under the age of 40 reported sexual harassment, higher than the average for most other occupational groups in Norway. Only 17 percent of those who had experienced sexual harassment in the defense sector reported this.

The Taboo Award is an honorary award from the Mental Health Council that can be given to people, organizations and/or businesses who, through words and actions, strive to break down preconceptions about mental health, break down taboos, encourage inclusion, consideration and openness about mental health.