Australia appoints first female army commander in historic milestone

Australia has made history by appointing a woman as army commander to lead the military force for the very first time.

The announcement comes as the country took significant steps as a part of overhauling the defence force leadership.

According to the statement issued by the government, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, currently serving as current chief ‌of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July.

By taking over this new position, Susan Coyle will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.

According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, "From ⁠July, we will have the first ever female chief of army ​in the Australian Army's 125-year history.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles called Coyle's appointment a "deeply historic moment."

“Susan's achievement will be deeply significant ​to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and ​women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future,” he added.

The move is hailed as a significant step to empower women in high-rank positions. Currently, the women make up around 21 percent of the Australian Defence Force. Of all, only 18.5 percent of women hold senior leadership roles.

To empower women and boost their number in military ranks, ADF has set a target of 25 percent of overall participation for women by 2030.

Unfortunately, female officers who are already serving, face sexual harassment and discrimination. Last October, class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging ​it failed ⁠to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault and discrimination.

Susan Coyle who enlisted in the military in 1987, has served in a number of senior command positions. In 125-years of Australian history, she will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military.