About
Established in October 2014, The Women in Defence and Security Network’s (WDSN) primary aim is to provide a forum to support the career development of women in the defence and security community in Australia, and to facilitate critical discussion around issues related to women’s participation and gender perspectives in the context of defence, national security and foreign policy.
The importance of female participation and leadership in the defence and security sector has been recognised across government and the private sector. The 2016 Defence White Paper recognised that ‘Gender equality and increasing female participation in the Defence workforce and in senior leadership roles is fundamental to achieving Defence capability now and into the future’. Similarly, DFAT’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy (2016) ‘defines gender equality and women’s empowerment as a priority in Australia’s foreign policy, economic diplomacy and development program’. And private sector leaders have increasingly recognised the importance of women’s leadership and participation as essential to the success of their businesses.
Updated: 13 Dec 2018