{"id":32102,"date":"2017-05-29T11:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T01:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=32102"},"modified":"2017-05-29T09:38:40","modified_gmt":"2017-05-28T23:38:40","slug":"pathways-cultural-change-defence-maintaining-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/pathways-cultural-change-defence-maintaining-momentum\/","title":{"rendered":"The pathways to cultural change in Defence: maintaining momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Just over five\u00a0years ago, Pathway to change: evolving Defence culture<\/em>, a five-year plan highlighting areas requiring cultural change within Defence, was released. This strategy aimed to address cultural issues that had been recognised as needing reform; notably, one area was the inclusion of women in the ADF. With the five-year implementation timeframe having concluded in April, it\u2019s important that we reflect on what progress has been made and ask \u2018Where to next?\u2019.<\/p>\n The Pathway to change<\/em> plan was led by the Department of Defence and was an analysis of its own cultural strengths and areas for improvement. Part of this involved looking at the attitudes and treatment of women in Defence (both in the APS and in the forces) and how to improve the future recruitment, retention and inclusion of women in decision-making bodies within the organisation.<\/p>\n Pathways to change<\/em> found that \u2018noticeable gaps remain in the representation of women across senior leadership positions\u2019 and made a commitment \u2018to address the inclusion of women in decision-making bodies\u2019. Five years later, we can see that some progress has been made. Defence\u2019s Head People Capability, Rear Admiral Brett Wolski, recently confirmed to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade<\/a> (JSCFDT) that \u2018there are 70\u00a0senior offices that are female, which is growing slowly. Over the last 12\u00a0months, we have increased that number by between five and 10.\u2019 A quick search through Defence\u2019s own website<\/a> reveals that, of its own \u2018senior leaders\u2019 in service and APS roles, there\u2019s one female in the group of\u00a016. Further, the Women in the ADF annual report 2015\u201316<\/em><\/a> indicates that the number of women in key Defence decision-making bodies increased by only three in the past three\u00a0years. These numbers make the case that, while some progress has been made, more still needs to be done to ensure that women are adequately represented in senior positions and appointed to decision-making bodies.<\/p>\n Of course, boosting the overall number of women within Defence is critical to ensuring that we get the next generation of women leaders coming through the pipeline. Recent figures on the female participation rate in the ADF have risen to 16.1%, up from 15.4% in 2015. The Navy has increased from 18.9% to 19.7%, the Army from 12% to 12.6% and the Air Force from 18.8% to 19.9%. It\u2019s critical that work continues on building these numbers and retaining women so they can progress through the ranks to senior roles.<\/p>\n Addressing structural barriers for women within the ADF is critical to improving retention and increasing the number of women in senior roles, and that includes exploring flexible working arrangements. Vice Admiral Tim Barrett acknowledged the barriers during the JSCFDT, including \u2018issues around the ability to manage life balance with what we demand in activities. That is where a lot of work is being done to look at flexible workplace arrangements. It will be a continual challenge for us.\u2019 Addressing issues such as flexible working arrangements is important to retaining women in the ADF and ensuring that there are women who are available to fill senior roles.<\/p>\n In line with the aim set out in Pathway to change<\/em> is the progress that has been made on the removal of gender restrictions on the remaining ADF combat role employment categories from which women were previously excluded. This has been a significant achievement for the ADF. This plan, first introduced in 2011, has since come to fruition\u2014an acknowledgment that no door will be closed to those women who can meet the challenge. We have learned that, while these numbers are small, they are gradually growing. For the first time, women are now training to become clearance divers and fast jet pilots\u2014roles that were once open only to men.<\/p>\n