THE HON. GREG COMBET MP
Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science
Thursday, 28 January 2010
009/2010
SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR
WOMEN IN THE NAVY TO EXPAND IN 2010
The Australian Government has welcomed the results of a new initiative to
enhance female leadership in the Royal Australian Navy by expanding the
program.
Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, said that
the Government is committed to improving opportunities for women in the
ADF to undertake leadership roles.
The Navy Womens Leadership Program was conducted throughout 2009
with 28 women and was the first program of its kind in the ADF, Mr Combet
said.
The program provided the opportunity for female leaders, from the rank of
Leading Seaman to Commander and APS equivalents, to participate in five
Australian Women and Leadership Forum events.
I am pleased to announce that the Womens Leadership Program will be
conducted again in 2010, and will include for the first time a womens
mentoring program for an additional 50 Navy women.
The new mentoring program is highly regarded and has been implemented in
many corporate and public sector organisations around Australia, as part of
gender diversity strategies to help women achieve their career potential and
counter the gender imbalance in the workforce.
The female officers, sailors and public servants who completed the program
provided extremely positive feedback and have indicated strong enthusiasm
and motivation to implement their new skills in the workplace, Mr Combet
said.
The Navy Womens Leadership Program aligns itself with the objectives
outlined in the Chief of Defence Force Action Plan for the Recruitment and
Retention of Women in the ADF.
The programs are being run as part of the New Generation Navy initiative,
which seeks to improve Navys culture, leadership and structure.
Media contacts:
Rod Hilton (Greg Combet):
02 6277 7620 or 0458 276 619
Defence Media Liaison:
02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664