Armed forces 'must do more' to promote women into senior military positions
Women represented only 10.3% of the regular military as of October 2017, and hold just 3.6% of the top jobs.
Friday 8 June 2018 03:28, UK
The outgoing head of the armed forces has told Sky News that there are not enough women in senior military positions and the armed forces "can and must do better".
In his last interview before he leaves the post, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said that there should be no barrier to women reaching the top of the military.
He added: "I want to say, loud and clear, that we need to do better at the advancement of women in the ranks of the armed forces.
"We need to do better in ensuring that women feature in the more senior ranks in the armed forces, and that is happening, and I can easily see a future where one day my role is occupied by a woman.
"We need to accept that, embrace it, and get on with it."
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As of October 2017 women represented only 10.3% of the regular military - that equates to just over 15,000 females.
The figures are even worse among senior ranks: just 3.6% of the most senior roles are occupied by women.
During his tenure as chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Peach has supported an initiative allowing men or women to swap easily between the regular and reserve forces without any penalty to their career path - allowing them to better manage family demands.
At present, more women are leaving the military than joining it.
He explained: "What it means is that you can join the armed forces as a man or woman and you can move in and out of regular and reserve service, and take a break for whatever family reason and then come back and be advanced and promoted.
"That is quite radical, in fact many of our friends and allies overseas are looking at this policy.
"It's early to say how much effect it will achieve, but I'm very confident with that and other policies and the fact that every arm of the armed services, every combat role is open to women, means that this will be part of an improving part of our armed forces narrative."
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In 2016, the UK lifted the ban on women fighting in close combat roles, meaning that women can now serve in every area of the armed forces.
Sir Stuart will become chairman of NATO's Military Council, making him the most senior military officer in the Alliance.
The former RAF fast jet pilot became the first head of the UK's Armed Forces not to be privately educated when he was appointed by the prime minister in 2016. His story is rare in a military dominated by officers from private education.
"I'm very proud of the fact that I grew up in the West Midlands and went to a normal school. Actually it was a grammar school at the time and is now an academy.
"I then went to the University of Sheffield, I was the first person in my family to go to university, and I then joined the Royal Air Force on what was then known as an air cadetship, 44 years ago."
The armed forces, in particular the army, have been criticised for not doing enough to attract talent from a more diverse background.
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) personnel account for 7.5% of the UK's regular forces.
"I would certainly simply offer that the route, in my case to be the professional head of the armed forces, is open to all who join," Air Marshal Peach told Sky News.