Women in defence: Driving change and leading the future
Featuring insights from Women in Defence Charter and industry leaders
As the defence sector continues to address workforce challenges, one issue gaining increasing attention is the need for greater diversity – particularly in terms of gender balance. While historically a male-dominated field, the tide is shifting as companies embrace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) principles. But what does the future of gender diversity in defence look like, and how can we continue driving progress?
We recently hosted a webinar with expert panellists from Serco, Women in Defence Charter, Babcock and Airbus Defence, where industry leaders shared their thoughts on addressing these challenges head-on. From strategies to break down barriers, to personal stories that highlight how far we’ve come – and how far we still need to go – the discussions were insightful, inspiring and essential for anyone passionate about diversity in defence.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the key challenges discussed in the webinar, along with actionable steps that companies are taking to recruit, retain and promote women in defence roles.
Top challenges for hiring women into defence: Breaking barriers and building bridges
The defence industry has made strides in fostering diversity but attracting and retaining female talent remains a key focus area. Below, we explore three primary challenges faced and how forward-thinking organisations are innovating to overcome them:
#1 – The engineering conundrum
One of the major roadblocks is the industry’s reliance on engineering roles, which have historically been male dominated. This results in a skewed talent pool. However, progressive companies are addressing this by:
- Partnering with schools and colleges to encourage girls to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education
- Offering “Train to Fit” technical programmes that target career-changers and those who missed traditional apprenticeship or graduate routes. These initiatives are helping to widen the talent pipeline by encouraging more women to transition into the defence sector.
#2 – Demystifying defence careers
Many women simply don’t consider careers in defence because the industry’s scope and opportunities remain unclear to them. To combat this, organisations can:
- Enhance their storytelling around purpose-driven roles that align with values, such as defending national security
- Highlighting diverse career paths and the social impact that working in defence can have, from cybersecurity to advanced aerospace engineering.
#3 – Lack of visible role models
Visibility matters. The phrase, “You can’t be what you can’t see,” rings especially true when it comes to female leadership in defence. Organisations can work to change this by:
- Introducing women-to-women mentoring programmes
- Creating employee special interest groups to foster community and support
- Actively promoting female leaders in both internal and external communications to ensure that women at all levels have role models they can look up to.
What else can companies do?
The defence industry isn’t just talking about change – it’s implementing it. Here are some strategies companies can adopt:
- Setting hiring quotas: The Women in Defence Charter set the ambition of achieving a minimum of 30% female representation at all levels across the defence sector by 2030. They work to support the sector in achieving this with a goal to create a critical mass community that helps drive inclusive behaviour.
- Focusing on internal mobility: By promoting women from within, companies can foster long-term careers and creating a culture of growth.
- Offering flexibility: Both mid-career women and younger employees are demanding greater flexibility. Companies offering adaptable work arrangements are more likely to attract top female talent.
- Shifting workplace dynamics: Organisations working to create more inclusive environments by reshaping networking opportunities, social events and collaboration methods help to dismantle traditional structures that may have previously excluded underrepresented groups.
The road ahead
Although there’s still a long road to gender equality in defence, progress is being made. Companies are becoming more purposeful about creating inclusive cultures, and the results are showing.
The future of defence is not just about technology and strategy; it’s also about building a workforce that reflects the society it protects. The challenges in achieving gender equality in the defence sector requires multiple approaches to drive effective and sustainable change. With a focus on purpose-driven roles, flexibility and inclusive leadership, the industry is evolving, but continued effort is necessary.
Want to hear more?
If this topic resonates with you, we invite you to dive deeper by listening to the full discussion from our recent webinar featuring industry leaders from Serco, Babcock, Airbus Defence and the Women in Defence Charter. These experts shared personal insights on how they’re driving initiatives to increase female representation, create inclusive workplaces and overcome the challenges discussed above. Watch the webinar now to hear from panellists who are making waves in transforming the defence sector for the better.
