Women from the Navy, Army and Air Force gathered this week at a special Jet Flight Simulator experience event to celebrate International Women's Day.
Celebrated on 8 March each year, International Women's Day provides an opportunity for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to host female-focussed events to highlight women's achievements and demonstrate Defence's support for women, both within the workforce and around Australia.
Specialist Recruiter for Women, Sergeant Ionie Jackson and her team, invited women from Canberra and surrounds to come and take control of the flight simulator, hear from current serving women, and learn how they could pursue a rewarding career in the ADF.
Sergeant Jackson said she was excited to mentor the next generation of Navy, Army and Air Force recruits and showcase the equal opportunity careers within reach for women in the ADF.
"Career options for women in the ADF are as broad as our skills and capabilities. We are highly skilled technical professionals, we work on or take control of sophisticated equipment and we lead talented teams," Sergeant Jackson said.
"This event was designed to showcase that the possibilities for young women in the ADF are endless."
Gungahlin College student, Bridget Smith said growing up with family in the ADF and meeting with the serving women has empowered her towards a career as an Air Traffic Controller in the Air Force.
"The job security, fitness and feeling part of the ADF family is what appeals to me most," Bridget said.
The 2016 Defence White Paper highlights the need to increase the participation of women in the Defence workforce, increasing diversity in voice, opinion and experience.
Director of Military Recruitment, Captain Jan Noonan (Navy) said Defence is committed to improving opportunities for women and creating a fairer and more inclusive work environment.
"Significant progress has been made to improve employment pathways, in order to increase the representation of women in ADF. Defence has implemented gender diversity targets and embedded specialist female recruitment teams across Australia to raise the profile of the ADF as an employer of choice for Australian women.
"We are also offering options for greater flexibility, to ensure women's advancement is supported and not impacted adversely by taking career breaks or seeking location stability," Captain Noonan said.
The 2020 International Women's Day theme, Generation Equality, is a call to action to join forces and create equal opportunities to lead, learn, and live free from discrimination.
The ADF is most effective when the best Australian talent, male or female, are serving and contributing to our operations.
