⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and military sexual trauma from the start. Please listen with care. Support resources are available on our website at bfbs.com/audience support.

Real change needs courage - and a refusal to stay silent.

In this powerful finale to Series 2, Lindsay MacDuff, the Culture Colonel, sits down with Sarah Atherton, former MP, Defence Minister, veteran, social worker, and author of the ground-breaking Atherton Report on Women in the Armed Forces.

Sarah shares her remarkable journey; from leaving school at 16 to joining the Army, becoming a nurse, then a social worker, before entering politics. She speaks candidly about the inquiry that shook Defence to its core, revealing the realities faced by women in uniform, from everyday inequalities to military sexual trauma.

This is a conversation about leadership, culture, and speaking truth to power. Sarah reflects on her core belief that you “don’t have to be laddish to be lethal,” her call for accountability at every level, and why listening without judgement remains Defence’s greatest untapped resource.

She also discusses her hopes for the future, the role of an Armed Forces Commissioner, and why - despite progress - real culture change remains unfinished work.

A fitting end to the series: courageous, honest, and driven by the belief that everyone deserves to serve in an environment where they feel safe, valued, and heard.

What did you take away from this episode? Email us at TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

You can also follow Sarah on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/saraheatherton/

Follow Lindsay

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindsay-macduff

Instagram: @lindsaymacduff

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