Australia said on Monday that a woman would lead its military for the first time in history, as part of a leadership shake-up of the country's defense forces.
Lt. Gen. Susan Coyle, current head of joint capabilities, will become head of the Army in July, the government said in a statement. He will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.
Coyle's appointment comes as the Australian Army seeks to increase the number of female officers in its ranks. He faces a wave of accusations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination.
“From July we will have the first female army chief in the 125-year history of the Australian Army,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
Defense Minister Richard Marles called Coyle's appointment a “deeply historic moment”.
“As Susan told me, you can't be what you can't see,” he said.
“Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women serving in the Australian Defense Force today and to women considering serving in the Australian Defense Force in the future.”
Coyle, 55, enlisted in the Army in 1987 and has held several high-level command positions. She will be the first woman to lead any branch of the military service, Marles said.
Currently, women make up around 21% of the Australian Defense Force (ADF) and 18.5% of senior leadership positions. The ADF has set a goal for women to reach 25% overall participation by 2030.
Last October, a class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging it failed to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.
On Monday, the government also appointed Vice-Admiral Mark Hammond, the current head of the navy, as head of the ADF, succeeding Admiral David Johnston.
The current deputy chief of the Navy, Rear Adm. Matthew Buckley, will replace Hammond as head of the branch.
