Australian women could soon be fighting in infantry and special forces units after the Australian Defence Force (ADF) decided to drop all restrictions on women in frontline
combat roles.
The plan, which could see women in frontline roles over the next five years if they meet physical and psychological standards, received broad support from veterans and defence associations, with some reservations about the realities of close quarter battle and "bio-mechanical" issues.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said on Tuesday the government's decision to remove gender restrictions from ADF combat roles had the full support of defence chiefs and would be implemented by 2016-17.
There would be no quotas and standards would not be reduced.
"If an individual woman has got the physical, mental and psychological capacity to do a job, then if they can do the job on merit, pass the same standards that a man passes, qualify in the same way a man does, then she should not be excluded," he said.
The Australia Defence Association said it favoured women performing any role where they could meet the required standards, but more detail was needed.
"We would hope the detail of how they are going to get around some of the bio-mechanical aspects will follow," executive director Neil James told AAP.
"We reiterate our firm stance that the pursuit of absolute gender equality in the defence force must not come at the price of killing more women or of disproportionate injuries and casualties."
At present there are about 8000 women in the ADF, making up 14.5 per cent of the total fulltime membership of 58,000.
"From our point of view it is not a matter of gender," said RSL national president, retired Rear Admiral Ken Doolan.
"It's a matter of using the capabilities that exist within the Australian Defence Force."
Australia will join a short list of nations allowing women to serve in frontline units, including New Zealand, Canada and some Nordic countries.
Israel is traditionally regarded as the leader, but the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) website says women may only fill 88 per cent of roles.
Under Australia's previous policy, women could fill 93 per cent of ADF jobs, including piloting combat aircraft and helicopters and serving aboard submarines.
They were barred from jobs which could take them into direct combat with enemy forces, including infantry, combat engineers, artillery, armour and special forces positions in the army, airfield defence guards in the RAAF and clearance divers in the navy.
But women have routinely served in frontline support positions, with 335 now participating in overseas operations, including in Afghanistan.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said women in the ADF would now have more options.
"It means that women who aspire to work in a combat position will now be able to compete for those positions on the basis of merit and ability, rather than being excluded simply because of their gender," she said.
However, defence commentator John Hunter Farrell, publisher of the Australian and NZ Defender Magazine, said Australia may come to regret the decision.
"A nation that would never dream of having women playing in the grand finals of the rugby league and AFL has suddenly without almost any debate decided that women are appropriate for close quarter battle," he said.
"Women should also think deeply about ramifications of this decision. Does it mean in our next great war - and believe me there will be one - that women will be conscripted?"
Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said the coalition supported the removal of combat restrictions for women as long as current physical and psychological standards were maintained.
