This paper is the culmination of a two year long project relying on interviews to establish when, why and how Australia overturned the rules banning women from combat roles in the Australian Defence Force. It considers the impact of the combat exclusion in Australia and outlines the steps that were necessary to make this change. In an era of anti-DEI policies and significant reversals (especially in the United States) the paper considers whether or not opening combat roles to women in Australia offers any insight into how DEI policies can be implemented in the national security sector. The paper also explores the sharply different path of Australia's decision to open combat roles to women in comparison with other like nations (the US, Canada and Australia).
