Military failing to remove barriers to diversifying ranks: ombudsman
-
Share on Facebook
-
Share on Twitter
- Copy Link
OTTAWA — Canada’s military ombudsman is joining the chorus of those accusing the Canadian Armed Forces and Defence Department of having failed to address long-standing barriers to recruit and retain more women, visible minorities and Indigenous People.
Gregory Lick says in a new report that the military and department have adopted numerous initiatives over the last 20 years to increase the share of Armed Forces members who come from those underrepresented groups.
The moves follow several human-rights decisions and the passage of employment equity laws, amid a growing disconnect between the makeup of the military, predominantly composed of white males, and the rest of the country’s population.
Yet Lick says the initiatives have resulted in little progress in increasing representation from underrepresented groups, with the military falling far short of its own targets.
