PUBLICATION | NZDF Women’s Performance, Health and Wellbeing Research Programme
The DST Human Sciences team had their research activities recently published in the Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM) under the title: NZDF uniformed women’s performance, health and wellbeing: developing a research agenda.
More info in the article here and read the full AJEM publication here (see page 103 for DST's contribution).
Background
It’s well established that there’s a gender gap in military performance and health research, which leads to real life disadvantages for servicewomen and presents a risk to operational capability. To address this, the New Zealand Defence Force Women’s Performance, Health, and Wellbeing Programme was launched by DST in 2023.
Over the past year and half, DST's Human Sciences Team has embarked on a comprehensive scoping journey to understand the diverse challenges faced by our wāhine. The team have taken a unique approach, engaging with leaders and stakeholders from the top down while also listening to our uniformed wāhine from the ground up.
Next steps include focusing on primary research and collaborating with NZDF stakeholders, academic institutions, and High Performance Sports New Zealand. Together, we’ll drive meaningful change to improve the lives and careers of our incredible uniformed wāhine.