Today, around 300 ADF women are serving on operations overseas. That's about 11 per ... You'll find ADF women in a wide
Annual Civil Society Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security 2013 Presentation by Air Marshal Mark Binskin Thanks for this opportunity to speak to you today. I’m pleased to see that Defence is represented on a number of the panels and this demonstrates the emphasis that we place on the role of women in peace and security. This discussion is timely, building upon the Gender in Defence and Security Leadership Conference conducted in Canberra last month. Today in looking at the meaningful participation of women in peace and security, I’d like to cover two important and inter-connected aspects. Firstly, I’ll discuss the increasing role and influence of women in the Australian Defence Force, especially in achieving operational outcomes. Secondly, what we are doing to enhance Defence’s civil-military capabilities which strive for a more inclusive framework in resolving and preventing conflict. In this respect, Defence is a key supporter and enabler of the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The principles in this action plan, which reflect the objectives of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, are an important guide in how Defence plans and conducts its operations. These principles influence how we prepare our people for deployment, the activities we undertake, who we work with and consult with on the ground and the incorporation of lessons learned for the future. Participation of ADF women on operations First, to the participation of ADF women on operations: In the course of little more than a decade, the face of ADF operations has shifted significantly. Today, around 300 ADF women are serving on operations overseas. That’s about 11 per cent of the deployed force. There are more than 100 women on the ground in Afghanistan. You’ll find ADF women in a wide range of roles in operational areas. Servicewomen actively participate in patrols outside the wire in roles such as civil-military liaison, combat medics, bushmaster crew commanders, and CH-47 helicopter crews. A key point is that we are now seeing more women in operational command positions, and other roles of influence. Last year Lieutenant Commander Di Lawrie deployed to Timor-Leste for six months as the head of Civil and Military Cooperation. She managed a cell of up to 14 ADF personnel and some New Zealand military personnel. The role of LCDR Lawrie's team was to provide direct liaison with senior levels of the TimorLeste Government, Police and the Defence Force during a key period of Operation Astute, as security responsibility transitioned to the Timorese authorities.
LCDR Lawrie used her leadership skills and the team’s local language skills and knowledge of customs to successfully synchronise the ADF’s drawdown with Timorese agencies – at times a complex task. Elsewhere on operations, Wing Commander Barbara Courtney is one of a number of women who have commanded the Multi National Base at Tarin Kot. This involved managing a team of 350 including Australian, Afghan, US and Slovakian personnel. WGCDR Courtney was responsible for enhancing security at the huge base and improving management of weapons ranges. For her work, she was awarded a Commander Joint Task Force and a US Army commendation. And in future operations, the representation of women should increase as combat employment categories are opened. The employment of women is now based on their ability to perform the job, not their gender. Since the beginning of the year, we have seen women begin stepping forward and applying for jobs that had previously been closed to them. You would also be aware there have been a range of Defence gender and cultural related reviews conducted since 2011. The Deputy Secretary for Defence People, Carmel McGregor, is participating in a panel discussion next door on achieving more equal representation of women and men in Australian security institutions. I won’t go into detail on the reviews and Defence’s response now, but I’m happy to work through this during the panel discussions if you wish. One of the characteristics of modern military operations is that they are conducted within a whole-of-Government context and often in an environment which includes independent international organisations (such as the International Committee of Red Cross) and Non Government Organisations, such as Oxfam. And this leads me to the issue of Defence and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Defence and the National Action Plan The National Plan identifies 17 actions for Defence. Some of these actions are progressing well - in particular addressing Actions 2.1 and 2.2 that aim to ensure women are positioned to play a greater role in Defence decision making – including on operations. •
We are ensuring women have opportunities to progress to the highest levels of Defence, by removing some of the cultural barriers that have held them back,
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We are seeking to retain higher numbers of personnel by increasing access to flexible employment arrangements,
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We are developing mentoring, networking and support programs that are critical to women’s progress in male-dominated workplaces.
It’s important to recognise that there is some crossover between our response to the cultural reviews and Defence addressing its 17 actions in the National Action Plan. But it’s also fair to say Defence has more work to do on many of the 17 action items. We acknowledge this and the action items under NAP are being elevated with Defence and we are now better focussed on making progress.
The Australian Civil Military Centre is certainly playing its part in driving some key initiatives. ACMC has developed an Implementation Plan to ensure it meets its commitments in the National Action Plan. One of the key initiatives is developing Whole of Government Protection of Civilian Guidelines which will integrate the considerations of women and girls into normal operational practice of deployed government agencies during conflict. A working group is being established to commence this process, with senior representatives from Defence, AttorneyGenerals, DFAT, AFP and AusAID. These guidelines will draw upon lessons learned from all agencies and help shape the conduct of our operations in the future. Other Defence-related activities in the ACMC implementation plan include development and distribution of ‘Side by Side’ a documentary and training package targeted at both military and civilian personnel who are to be deployed to conflict areas. This documentary was recently screened at Joint Operations Command to mark International Women’s Day, as a means of furthering discussion on the need to consider the issues of women, peace and security in all ADF operational situations. In Kabul, Australian Navy officer, Commander Jenny Wittwer is a Gender Advisor in ISAF Joint Command. She is playing a key role ensuring that the gender perspective is mainstreamed into the conduct of NATO-led operations and missions. She advises IJC senior leadership and staff on the role of gender in operations and the planning processes, incorporates gender perspective into operational documentation, provides gender awareness training, and advises on the implementation of the Afghanistan Government’s gender equity policies. CMDR Wittwer brings a wealth of experience to this role. She has worked for many years in gender diversity, recruitment and retention of women, complaint resolution, Defence inquiries, cultural change, organisational culture, and the New Generation Navy program. Before she deployed to Kabul, CMDR Wittwer was the Navy Women's Strategic Advisor. Further south in Oruzgan Province, the ADF has Female Engagement Teams that support the advancement of women through education programs, economic development and the provision of health services to the local population. These teams provide an opportunity for Afghan women to openly discuss their concerns and needs for improving their lives and those of their families with our female soldiers. The FETs provide school supplies and medicine to the villagers and work closely with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Uruzgan Province. The PRT also works with the Director of Women’s Affairs in the Provincial Government. Defence continues to engage closely with key international partners – including the United Nations and NATO – to ensure the continued promotion and strengthening of capacities to implement UNSCR 1325. In 2011, Australia exchanged best practices and lessons learnt with UN Women and NATO on implementation of UNSCR 1325 to date. In May 2012, CMDR Wittwer attended the NATO Committee on Gender Perspective annual conference in NATO Headquarters which was ideal preparation for her deployment to Kabul. The way forward
Defence recognises that stability and peace can only be achieved through a gender inclusive approach to conflict resolution and peace building. The message is simple – women and girls need to be more actively involved in decisionmaking, not only to ensure their human rights are adequately protected, but to build more durable stability and reduce the risk of future conflict. Defence is committed to playing a leading role in implementing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. In terms of participation, ADF women are playing a more prominent and influential role on operations. We continue to enhance the way we integrate the considerations for, and protection of, women and girls into the planning and conduct of operations. Female engagement activities on the ground in operational areas support the advancement and empowerment of local women. But Defence acknowledges there is more work to do to. In many cases, implementing the National Action Plan will require ongoing activity within Defence – and the senior leadership will certainly be tracking its progress closely. The first whole-of-Government progress report on the implementation of the National Action Plan is due next year. I am quite comfortable that by then, Defence will be able to demonstrate further solid progress. Forums such as this are an important means of examining what has been done so far and sharing experiences about advancing these issues. Again, thank you for the opportunity to speak today and I look forward to the discussions shortly.
