Well-intentioned but missing the point: the Australian Defence Force approach to addressing conflict-based sexual violence

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 2015, the Australian Defence Force, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 15, implemented for the first time concrete measures to give effect to the Australian Government’s commitment to the prevention of conflict-based sexual violence articulated in the ‘National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security 2012–2018’. This short article analyses through a queer/feminist critique the National Action Plan and associated policy documents and then the operational implementation documents from Talisman Sabre 15 to assess how the ADF is going about the job of conflict-based sexual violence prevention. We conclude that while the practical implementation of conflict-based sexual violence prevention measures are common sense and reasonable, the optics and language used to implement these measures undermine these efforts and render them mostly ineffective.