Rank, gender and working arrangements of ADF members: results from the Defence Census and implications for partner employment

When it comes to families we generally don’t think that the rank of the member matters. And family support initiatives are tri-service (or purple) in their approach. But when it comes to partner careers it’s more nuanced than that. Because careers are where personal factors meet contextual ones. For ADF partners these contextual factors include where and how much our ADF members work, and how much of the unpaid family work we’re performing as a result. So it’s with interest that I look at the data from the 2019 Defence Census to find out how the ADF workforce is working in terms of service, rank and gender, and what implications it has for partner employment. … More Rank, gender and working arrangements of ADF members: results from the Defence Census and implications for partner employment

COVID 19 and ADF Partner Employment Part Six: financial security

One of the main concerns being raised about the disproportionate impact of Covid 19 on women is the longer term financial impact and the risk of poverty in old age. Australian women are already retiring on less superannuation than men mainly due to the fact that they move in and out of paid work more … More COVID 19 and ADF Partner Employment Part Six: financial security

COVID 19 and ADF Partner Employment Part Five: domestic and caring work

The caring and household responsibilities of ADF partners has long been a concern of mine with respect to career development. Many inequalities that existed prior to Covid19 have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including within ADF families. … More COVID 19 and ADF Partner Employment Part Five: domestic and caring work

Generation Equality for Military Partners

Defence love to talk about next generation fighter aircraft, warships and vehicles. It’s high time we had a discussion about “next generation families” particularly by paying greater attention to the impact service life has on the partners of service members – the overwhelming majority of whom are women – particularly with respect to employment. … More Generation Equality for Military Partners

Diverse City Careers and military spouses are a great fit

  UPDATE: Diverse City Careers is now Work180. Click here for the new website For most women I know juggling the demands of work and family has a big impact on career. Military spouses face the additional challenges of having a partner with inflexible and demanding work hours and frequent and/or lengthy absences from home. Frequent … More Diverse City Careers and military spouses are a great fit