Diversity - Index
- Sexual Orientation
- Multiculturalism
- Multicultural Policy
- Increasing Capability
- Creating an Inclusive Environment
- Harassment and Discrimination
- Cultural Diversity Report
Under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 , discrimination or harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation, be it heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, is prohibited. ADF members or APS employees are not to be asked about their sexual orientation, nor is sexual orientation, or alleged sexual orientation, to be adversely taken into consideration in promotion, posting or career development decisions.
An on-line awareness session and PowerPoint presentation, titled "Understanding Homosexuality", is available on the Training page. A Reading List and list of Internet resources is available providing information on sexual orientation.
Defence Gay and Lesbian Information Service (DEFGLIS)
DEFGLIS is an organisation of Regular, Reserve and Civilian members of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersex and Transgender (GLBIT) and allies.
The DEFGLIS website aim is to provide information on gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, intersex and transgender issues for members, supervisors, divisional staff and management staff of the ADO.
Mission Statement
To provide support and increase consideration for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersex and Transgender community, complementarily with the Australian Defence Organisation and established Defence and civilian support organisations.
Defence has a commitment to equity and diversity in the workplace and in its management practices. Australian human rights legislation, in particular the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act 1986 (HREOC Act), the diverse composition of Australian society, and the Government's "A New Agenda for Multicultural Australia" have an impact on the way a diverse workforce is managed.
The term "Australian Multiculturalism" summarises the way we address the challenges and opportunities of our cultural diversity. Australian Multiculturalism recognises and celebrates Australia's cultural diversity. It accepts and respects the right of all Australians to express and share their individual cultural heritage within an overriding commitment to Australia and the basic structures and values of Australian democracy. The term also refers specifically to the strategies, policies and programs that are designed to:
- make our administrative, social and economic infrastructure more responsive to the rights, obligations and needs of our culturally diverse population;
- promote social harmony among the different cultural groups in Australia; and
- optimise the benefits of our cultural diversity for all Australians.
The Commonwealth Government's access and equity strategy, the Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society, is consistent with the New Agenda for Multicultural Australia. View the Charter (20k, Word file).
Harmony Day
The Australian Government sponsors Harmony Day each year. Harmony Day is a key component of the Government's Living in Harmony initiative and is held in conjunction with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racism. The celebration of Harmony Day allows all Australians to reflect on our nation's success as a multicultural society and provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the promotion of understanding and good will between Australians of all backgrounds.
Defence is committed to Australian Multiculturalism and requires that all personnel demonstrate a respect for other cultures. Defence acknowledges the significance of cultural requirements, the impact of culture on a person's attitudes and behaviours, and the requirement to create an inclusive workplace free from racial discrimination and racist behaviour. Defence Multicultural Policy (36k, PDF)
This cultural respect gives all Australians, subject to the law, the right to express their own culture and beliefs and obliges them to accept the right of others to do the same. If you see a need inyour workpolace for some form of cultural training, you may be able to utilse the funding available through the Cultural Awareness Training Fund.
Defence operates in a multicultural work environment and remains committed to its multicultural workforce because cultural diversity is a source of strength that makes Defence more effective in carrying out its mission.
Defence values the principle of inclusiveness and views a multicultural workforce as a unifying factor in an organisation. Defence will strive to become an employer of choice by being seen as an open, inclusive organisation that is able to harness the attributes brought by more diversified skill sets, particularly in knowledge-based capabilities such as language proficiency and cross-cultural understanding (relevant in operational environments), to enhance its performance and productivity.
Defence believes in the notion of good corporate citizenship within a multicultural society. It is vital that the Australian community has confidence in its Defence Force and that this organisation is seen to represent the community it serves. Defence will promote the organisation to people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds as an employer of choice.
Defence is mindful of the benefits it will derive from the development of close cooperation with defence forces drawn from a variety of cultures in its international operations. Defence believes that the recruitment of multicultural personnel into its workforce will enhance the Organisation's international image and lead to a better understanding of how other cultures operate.
Defence acknowledges the fact that a multicultural workforce has diverse needs that must be met in order to promote job satisfaction in the workplace. Defence will facilitate the creation of structural acceptance through such means as employment agreements, provision of prayer rooms, access to appropriate social and cultural services, elimination of obstacles to the full participation in all pertinent activities and processes expected of and available to its workforce.
All Defence personnel are to be given fair and equitable opportunities to enable them to contribute to the organisation. Harassment or discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, colour, culture, religion, sexual preference, language or place of birth is unacceptable behaviour and is to be managed in accordance with the relevant Defence policy instruction (DIG Pers 35-3).
Defence has been working on a number of projects related to the Commonwealth Government's new multicultural agenda including the development of a (business) case for cultural diversity within the organisation. "The Case for Cultural Diversity in Defence" report is an argument with convincing military and community examples to promote the operational imperatives of equity and diversity. The report is the cornerstone of the Defence's cultural diversity projects. View the Report (2.06MB, PDF).
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