Review of NZ Defence Force 'Operation Respect' published
Thu 16 Jul 2020
A report on a review of NZDF's Operation Respect has been published.
The Independent Review on the New Zealand Defence Force's progress on the Action Plan for Operation Respect (2020) notes some positive achievements, including:
- Establishment of the Sexual Assault Response Team and Sexual Assault Prevention Response Advisors;
- Provision of Sexual Ethics and Responsible Relationships training;
- Creation of the Operation Respect Steering Group with members external to the NZDF; and
- Buy-in from many leaders across the organisation.
It also makes 44 recommendations and identified four fundamental challenges to progress on implementing the action plan:
- a lack of transparency and accountability of NZDF’s progress in addressing and preventing harm;
- the current culture still encourages a ‘code of silence’;
- the culture of military discipline and command prevents personnel from raising concerns of speaking out; and
- the culture also makes it is difficult to call out behaviours or decisions made by personnel more senior in the hierarchy.
Related resources
The US-based National Sexual Violence Resource Centre (NSVRC) has collated a Military Sexual Trauma Resource List (July 2020).
Related media
Former Royal NZ Navy captain's steward wants an apology, Stuff, 04.09.2021
Sailor found guilty of three sexual assault charges, RNZ, 02.07.2021
Defence Force accused of neglecting sexual violence programme, RNZ, 26.08.2020
History shows Defence chief could change the course of Mariya Taylor case, Stuff, 02.08.2020
Image: David Mark from Pixabay
