MOD Civilian Diversity Report: Female Representation Increases

The number of female civilian personnel in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has increased by 2.7% since 2016, a new report has shown.

That means in October 2020, the end period of comparison, 43.8% of civilian personnel were women, compared to 41.1% in October 2016.

That equates to an increase of 1,040, from 15,090 female civilian personnel across all grades in the MOD in 2016, to a current level of 16,130.

Non-industrial personnel in the MOD are divided into grade structures ranked from Senior Civil Service down to Band E which, according to the government website, is broadly equivalent to Administrative Officers and Assistants.

This covers a wide range of personnel undertaking work such as administration, analysis, policy, procurement, finance, medical, dental, teaching, policing, science and engineering.

Below Band E sits the "Industrial" grades.

Industrial personnel are civilian personnel employed primarily in a trade, craft or other manual occupation. This covers a wide range of work such as industrial technicians, air freight handlers, storekeepers, vergers and drivers.

All non-industrial grade bands saw an increase in female representation except Band E which saw a fall of 0.8% when comparing 2016 to 2020.

The report, entitled “MOD civilian personnel biannual diversity dashboard”, analysed the current diversity range within “core MOD”, including categories like gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, and religion.

“Core MOD” includes "entities within the MOD Departmental Boundary based on civilians with active personnel records on the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) within a MOD Main TLB (top-level budgetary areas)".

Another stand-out statistic in the report was the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation among MOD main civilian personnel which saw a 1.6% increase from 1,290 in 2016 to 1,860 in 2020, equating to an increase of 1,860 people.

The report found the distribution of BAME and white personnel was broadly similar for all non-industrial grades. 

It also showed the percentage of BAME personnel in Bands B and C is higher than the percentage of white personnel.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) representation of MOD Main civilian personnel increased from 460 (2%) in 2016 to 800 (2.8%) in 2020, a rise of 0.8% or 340 people.

Disability representation currently stands at 12.2% or 3,370 people. This is a rise of 0.3 percentage points compared with the figures available for October 2019 – 3,190 people or 11.9% as a proportion.

There is no sufficient record from 2016, as between April 2011 to October 2018 the declaration rate for disability was not sufficiently populated for the representation rate to be reported on.

Figures for the religion and faith representation rate at 1 October 2020 showed the proportion of MOD Main civilian personnel who self-declared as Christian was 60.3%. This is a fall of 8.6% compared with October 2016.

The proportion who self-declared as non-Christian was 5.7%, a rise of 0.5% compared with October 2016. The proportion who self-declared as Secular was 34.0%, a rise of 8.1%.

The report also showed that the Average Age representation at 1 October 2020 was 47.9 years, a reduction of 0.1 years compared with October 2016.

This data excludes personnel in organisations with delegated personnel functions: UK Hydrographic, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Defence Nuclear Organisation (including Submarine Delivery Agency), Defence Electronic Components Agency and DE&S Trading Entity.

Cover image: PA.