page_title: Women in combat
section_title: Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Women in combat / Specific countries / Australia
caption_attribution_description: Women in Army, (L-R) Corporal Amanda Wright, Corporal Cindy Veenman and Captain Karin Cann are regulars outside the wire of Multinational Base Tarin Kowt. Women of the Australian military, police and civilian agencies deployed at the Multinational Base Tarin Kowt undertake a range of critical roles in support of Australia's joint agency approach in Uruzgan Province. Some of these roles include Afghan National Police development, health services, administrative support, community and political liaison, combat service and support, military transport driving, and security support. (Courtesy Australian Government Department of Defence)
context_page_description: Women in combat are female military personnel assigned to combat positions.
context_section_description: The Australian military began a five-year plan to open combat roles to women in 2011. Front line combat roles opened in January 2013. 
  The positions women will now be able to fill are: Navy Ordnance disposal divers, airfield and ground defense guards, infantry, artillery and armored units. Australia is one of nineteen countries which includes women in its direct combat forces. During Australia's participation in World War II, the Australian military created a sub-branch of each of its armed forces specifically for females. In 1977, the Royal Australian Air Force was the first Australian service to fully integrate women. The Australian Army was next, in 1979, followed by the Royal Australian Navy in 1985. Servicewomen's combat restrictions were eased beginning in 1990. In 2011, Defence Minister Stephen Smith announced that the Australian Cabinet had lifted all gender-based restrictions for women in combat.
caption: Female Australian soldiers in Afghanistan
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