By
Antony Underwood
If 50 per cent of Defence’s staff is not women, Defence can’t
be getting the best people according to the Head of Defence Personnel
Executive, Rear Admiral Brian Adams.
He says this in a DEFGRAM announcing a forum being organised by
the Defence Women’s Network (ACT) to be conducted in Canberra
with the Secretary for Defence, Mr Ric Smith, on June 23.
“In an environment in which we are pressurised to achieve
more and more with little likelihood of increased resourcing,
we need to ensure that we attract the very best people to our
organisation,” RADM Adams says.
“But if 50 per cent of our staff are not women, we can’t
be getting the best. How should Defence deal with this issue?”
RADM Adams invites all Defence people interested to join Mr Smith
in ‘a forum to highlight the issues and exchange views about
how we might continue to tackle this situation’.
The forum will consider what needs to change, how might we change
it, and who should be responsible for doing it.
“This is an issue that affects all of us, male and female,
military and civilian, at all levels of command and management,”
RADM Adams said.
The forum will be held at the (Russell) RI Theatrette between
1245 and 1315 on Monday, June 23.
