Review into the treatment of women at the Australian Defence Force ...

Chapter 6:Equity and DiversityRecommendations 6-10Key findings of Review• The principles of equity and diversity should provide overarching, positive values to informeveryday practice within the ADF.• At ADFA, the Review found equity and diversity to be conceptually grounded in disciplinaryand punitive processes and framed as a response to unacceptable behaviour.The Review made five recommendations with the aim of reframing the way equity and diversityfunctioned at ADFA, enhancing the positive values based aspects of the concept, and embedding it intoeveryday practice.In summary the findings of the Audit indicate that:• ADFA has undertaken a number of significant actions with the aim of promoting a morepositive and values based concept of equity and diversity.• The COMDT is leading from the front in promoting equity and diversity. A new policystatement signed by the COMDT promotes the value of equity and diversity at ADFA andoutlines its benefits to the organisation.• Equity and diversity training incorporates the COMDT’s policy statement, but some lessonscontinue to aggregate equity and diversity with unacceptable behaviour and the complaintsprocess.• The close alignment between equity and diversity and the complaints process makes itdifficult for ADFA to teach equity and diversity principles as core values underpinning ethicalleadership.• The expansion of the Equity Adviser Network is a positive step but further evaluation isrequired to understand and address issues of access to the Network.• The creation and expansion of the Sexual Offence Support Person (SOSP) Network iswelcomed. This is an important source of support and assistance to complainants andrespondents.34