Senate hearing warns Australian military must curb misogynist online influence quickly

Lawmakers heard testimony at a Senate inquiry examining a plan to create an independent agency to address sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force. Witnesses argued that the surge of misogynist content on social platforms is influencing young men entering the service, worsening an already entrenched problem. Shannon Hennessey of the Veterans, Emergency Services and Policy Industry Institute of Australia said the military cannot afford further delays.

Former Navy veteran Angela Ballard warned that online extremist ideologies and pornography are feeding harmful beliefs among recruits, likely increasing assault rates. Former federal judge Gary Rumble, who reviewed defence force sexual assault in 2011, urged an immediate stop to recruitment advertising targeting women and suggested barring new female enlistees until cultural reforms are achieved. He also highlighted that servicewomen’s suicide rates are double those of civilian women. Protecting whistle-blowers was identified as a critical concern, given the tight-knit nature of military culture.