CDF's Action Plan

 The ADF wants to be more representative of the community in which it lives and serves.

The ADF also wants to be recognised as an employer that values its members and provides them with conditions of service that support, enable and encourage their personal circumstances, whatever they may be.

The Chief of the Defence Force Action Plan for the Recruitment and Retention of Women aims to increase the number of women enlisting in the ADF and retain the women already there.

The action plan targets six priority areas and introduces a cultural change program.

The six priority areas are:

• Enlistment
• Workplace flexibility
• Career management
• Accountability
• Mentoring, and
• Communication.

The action plan builds on achievements and initiatives already in place and introduces new measures to increase the options and attractiveness of an ADF career.

Launch

Speeches

Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Speech
Minister for the Status of Women Speech (136 KB PDF)
Chief of the Defence Force Speech (27.4 KB PDF)

Images

Launch Images

Video

Launch Video (WMV)
Launch Video (MPG)

Action plan

Progress on implementation of The CDF Action Plan for the Recruitment and Retention of Women - Public Release Version (17.3 KB PDF)

Media

Action Plan Media Summary (371 KB PDF)

Media release

Reference Group on Women

In 2008, the Chief of the Defence Force set up a Reference Group on Women that consisted of a panel of high-powered and senior women with a track-record of success in male-dominated professions.

The group comprised:

• Elizabeth Broderick
• Christine Charles
• Margaret Gardner AO
• Sam Mostyn
• Christine Nixon APM
• Elizabeth Proust.

The group discussed new ideas, strategies and options for breaking down current barriers to women joining and continuing in the ADF.

• Chief of the Defence Force's Column - ADF Reference Group on Women (50.7 KB PDF)
  
• Defence Ministers meet with CDF's Reference Group on Women - Image Gallery

Testimonials

“The Action Plan for Women will provide me with more choices; choices that will help me to balance my professional and personal life.”

Warrant Officer Kellie Wood (Warrant Officer Promotions)

"I have a special needs child, Defence has always been supportive of the unique challenges we face as a family."

Colonel Georgeina Whelan (Command Health Officer, Army)

“The ability to achieve a healthy work/life balance is a challenge. But Defence has a culture where work and family responsibilities are accepted and this has helped me achieve a good balance most of the time.”

Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Mulder (Director of Recruiting Management, Navy)