THE PROGRESS REPORT: Mentorship matters – how women are thriving and transforming Australia’s defence sector

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol

In this episode of The Progress Report, Defence Connect’s Natasha Taylor sits down with Rachel Falzon, founder and national president of the Women in Defence Association, to explore the power of mentorship in shaping meaningful careers.

In this episode of The Progress Report, Defence Connect’s Natasha Taylor sits down with Rachel Falzon, founder and national president of the Women in Defence Association, to explore the power of mentorship in shaping meaningful careers.

From informal guidance over coffee to a groundbreaking, free national mentoring program, Rachel shares stories of women who have found confidence, navigated transitions from active service to industry, and earned promotions thanks to dedicated mentors.

Listen as they unpack the unique challenges women face in defence, the importance of community, and how mentorship is driving retention, leadership, and gender equity across the sector.

 
 

Join Natasha and Rachel to discover why no woman should navigate this journey alone.

The Progress Report. New voices. Real stories. Big shifts.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Progress Report team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Direct hit over Baghdad – the pilot who outflew a surface-to-air missile
Episode 10: SPOTLIGHT: Subs may be the centrepiece – but infrastructure, workforce and sovereign capability will decide the outcome, with Stantec Australia’s Chris Waywell, Rob Sansbury and Robert Fogel
Episode 9: CONTESTED GROUND: Apathy, complacency and the ‘Lucky Country’, Australia’s predicament is entirely self-inflicted, with Ben Dullroy
Episode 8: SPECIAL EDITION PODCAST: 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army
Episode 7: CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: From Tehran to Sydney – why war could reshape Australian property
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Inside Australia’s AUKUS industrial transformation, with Honeywell Aerospace Australia senior director Lee Davis
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: War without borders – the disinformation threat arriving in Australia
Episode 3: THE PROGRESS REPORT: The mission to make military children visible
Episode 2: PODCAST: Righting the ship, balancing the force, with Senator James Paterson, shadow minister for defence