Against the Wind

Jennifer Wittwer, CSM, is a passionate, award winning expert and consultant on gender mainstreaming in security sector organisations and peace and security efforts, and is dedicated to highlighting the importance of women’s representation and participation in armed forces, police organisations and other male-dominated professions. With thirty eight years service in the Royal Australian Navy, she was instrumental in leading Defence’s implementation of national and international commitments on the United Nations Women, Peace and Security agenda. In recent years she has worked for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Brussels and Afghanistan, and for the United Nations in New York, Ukraine and Jordan. Jennifer’s success in her chosen field came at a price early in her career, but she chose to see the silver lining; an opportunity to support and advocate for women’s ‘voices’ and difference in a hyper-masculine institution that promoted ‘gender-sameness’ instead of gender equality. Jennifer’s ‘be what you can’t see’ model, based on moving past her early career limitations and aspirations to fulfil her potential, and be a more authentic female officer, is balanced against the historical and current environment of male-dominated professions in which women still choose to serve. Mawson, ACT