in brief: budget cuts threaten adfa progress
Image via ABC
The Australian Defence Force Academy is improving in its attitudes towards women, an Australian Human Rights Commission audit has found, but progress may be hindered by budget cuts.
The training institution is reportedly making steady strides towards becoming more inclusive to female members. This includes the introduction of programs to better supervise cadets, and the creation of a survey to identify problem areas.
‘There is clear evidence that ADFA is working to improve its culture and build a more inclusive organisation for all its members, including women,’ Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
However, sexual harassment is still rife in the Academy. Broderick told the media that she while did not expect widespread change in the year since the sexual ethics reforms were implemented, it was evident that more attention was needed in some areas.
A preliminary report released last year found widespread, low-level sexual harassment and inadequate levels of supervision throughout ADFA.
A key recommendation of Broderick’s 2012 report was the strengthening of support networks for victims of abuse within the defence force. The Defence has opened the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office (SeMPRO) as a result.
‘We are shifting our immediate focus from pursuing the perpetrators or the actual investigation of the incidents, towards caring and supporting people who have experienced sexual misconduct,’ Australian Defence Force chief General David Hurley said.
While the moves towards inclusiveness are promising, budget cuts are apparently jeopardising the progress made.
The report quoted Defence Force Academy commandant Bruce Kafer as saying Defence budget cuts have undermined his efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct, claiming his staff are ‘being worked to the bone’.
The audit found: ‘The combination of Defence budget cuts and associated perception about the loss of staff, shifting priorities and the high staff turnover at ADFA are all risks to the longer-term sustainability of cultural reform.’
Do you know anyone who has experience harassment at ADFA?
Is the Defence Force doing enough to combat the culture of harassment?
Let us know in the comments below!
