Observers warn of ‘glass cliff’, Canada’s 1st female defence chief

OTTAWA — Canada will make history Thursday when Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan takes over command of the Armed Forces as chief of the defence staff.

Carignan, who replaces retiring Gen. Wayne Eyre, is the first woman to do the job.

She’s spent the last three years leading the military’s efforts to change the toxic culture that allowed the 2021 sexual misconduct crisis to occur.

Her tenure as the top commander comes at a time when the military is trying to stop what the defence minister recently called a recruitment “death spiral.”

At the same time, the demands on the Armed Forces are high, with troops being called on to respond to natural disasters and to deploy overseas.

Maya Eichler, a professor of political and women’s studies at Mount Saint Vincent University, warns the appointment looks like a “glass cliff” situation, where a woman is promoted to lead an organization that’s in crisis.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press