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ADF Review has wider significance (2012)

Sex Discrimination

The following opinion pieces have been published by the President and Commissioners. Reproduction of the opinion pieces must include reference to where the opinion piece was originally published.


ADF Review has wider significance

Author: By Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner

Published in The Canberra Times, Tuesday 30 October 2012


Why on earth would we do another review into the Australian Defence Force, you ask?  Surely it is one of the most reviewed organisations in the country?

My response is that the equal treatment of women should be at the core of any Australian workplace – regardless of its size, history or purpose. So, when indications suggest that this is not always the case, it is a matter of serious concern.

The defence force is unique by nature. It is a place that demands personal sacrifice and often personal risk from its members, well beyond that ever asked of most citizens.

When I was asked to conduct the Review into the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force, the male-dominated ADF had been lurching from one sex scandal to the next.

So, though sparked by events relating to the improper sexualised treatment of ADF women, to my mind our Review had a broader purpose. We needed to examine the underlying culture and structures that might be contributing to women’s marginalisation, while looking at the failure of the ADF to keep pace with workforces across Australia.  Because the way the ADF conducts itself internally and the way it treats its members, particularly women, not only has implications for other large and influential male-dominated workplaces across Australia, but for the reputation of the country itself.

When you consider the international reach of this institution, we are not just talking Brand ADF, we are talking Brand Australia.

At the conclusion of our expansive 18 months Review, during which we spoke to over 2000 people of all ranks within the ADF around the world – including in the theatre of war in Afghanistan - we made 21 over-arching recommendations that provide a comprehensive path to real change.

It is true that, despite progress over the last two decades, women cannot and will not flourish in all the varied workplaces that comprise the ADF - that the ADF is not keeping up and that cultural change is imperative.

It is true that, during the course of the Review, I heard many positive stories about the ADF and the ways it clearly serves its members well.

But it is also true that I heard deeply distressing stories from women – and men - stories of extreme exclusion, of harassment and bullying, of sexual assault and victimisation.

These stories and attitudes take place within an organisation that is, like any other, an employer. And like any other employer, the ADF wishes to be a high performing organisation, one that is sustainable and able to meet the challenges of the future, as well as the present. Just like any other employer, talent is the key.

For many people in the ADF, I observed that service comes above all else – above family and relationships, above personal wellbeing – with the inevitable impacts on the lives of individuals.

There are similarities to be found in large workplaces all around Australia. It’s all a question of degree.

No organisation – the ADF or any other - should require individuals to sacrifice basic human rights – like the right to a family, the right to a work environment free from sexual violence and the right to equality.

Our review found that many women leave the ADF when they have children, often because so few parts of the organisation feature flexible working arrangements.

We found a failure to adapt to modern community expectations about work and family was not only disadvantaging ADF members - both men and women - but ultimately was damaging the ADF’s capability. Talented and skilled members were leaving - the average cost of losing a member being $580 to $680K.

Many large companies have been implementing strategies, not only to retain talent by encouraging women to stay with the organisation, rather than leave when they have a family, but to increase the representation of women, to create more opportunities to leadership positions and to stamp out sexual harassment and misconduct.

Women are firmly part of any modern workplace. Increasing the representation of diverse groups, including women, and creating more inclusive environments makes good operational and business sense. In the ADF, it is about ensuring the future capability and operational effectiveness of the organisation - and this means developing a more diverse workforce.

Traditional talent pools are no longer enough.  For example, while less than 40 per cent of the Australian population is made up of men who speak English at home, this group makes up 80 per cent of the ADF membership. And with increased competition from other sectors, the ADF has found its ability to recruit at entry level from the 17 to 24 age group has flat-lined.

Cultural change is therefore a must.

But meaningful change is never easy. It takes courage to set aside the status quo. And when that status quo perpetuates loss of personnel and/or marginalisation, when it threatens the future capacity of the organisation, new and innovative ways of thinking must be embraced.

There is no doubt that the senior leadership of the ADF are ready to embrace change.  The challenge is to accept and implement it.

The ADF’s reputation needs to be squeaky clean, in all arenas. Community expectations of ADF members are higher than they are for other industries and organisations. The community expects the ADF to develop leaders of the highest ethical standards and integrity and to display the highest levels of accountability and transparency.

Our Review has attracted overseas interest and has the potential to provide a solid basis from which other militaries can develop meaningful strategies on how they treat women.

The recommendations we made can be readily applied to other male dominated industries like mining, construction, finance, engineering and law enforcement.

So why do another review into the ADF?

Because now, the ADF has a greater level of clarity about what it must do to be a truly global leader – a role-modelling organisation for both the public and private sectors and for other militaries across the world struggling with similar issues.

Elizabeth Broderick is Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner.