In this modern world of the 21st century, women have been delved into every domain of work. The posts such as chairman, cameraman have been rephrased as a camera person and chairperson in order to involve women to these posts. Likewise, Indian Armed Forces which for long was considered a male-dominated workplace now has bold, confidence, and active women into officer roles and reflect the high potential in them to the society. In the land of Razia Sultan and Rani Lakshmibai, it gives no surprise that women make their mark in Armed forces.
Despite of all their courage and competitiveness, the role of women in armed forces is limited only to medical professions such as doctors, nurses, law, engineering, executive cadres and not into Army Combat Role. This status of women sparked outrage when Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat listed out strings of reasons like they have the responsibility of raising kids and a woman officer would feel uncomfortable at the frontline and accuse jawans of peeping as she changes clothes. General Rawat said that while he was ready to introduce women to combat roles, the Army may not be ready as most jawans come from villages and they may not accept a woman officer leading them.
He also highlighted the issue of maternity leave and said the Army would not be able to give her leave if she is the commanding officer as she can’t leave her unit for six months, but said objecting to the leave could create a “ruckus”.
The Indian Army chief was caught on the wrong side of the gender debate and the volte-face and the rationale for it were mostly administrative in nature and missed the woods for the trees. The field conditions in the Army are much more rugged and proximity to comrades and adversary poses greater challenges. The cultural argument put forward by the COAS that the junior rank who are mostly of rural origin, may not be ready to accept a woman as their officer could be true but is surely not an immutable condition. Countries that have inducted women in combat roles have not found it easy to assimilate the change and perhaps there is something to gain from their experience although there is a variance in the cultural environment. In any case, it is a matter of mindset and what better place to change mindsets than the Indian Army.
There are a plethora of challenges that need to be tackled through a trial-and-error method to evolve a planned induction. In principle, a woman in combat cannot seek special privileges on the ground of gender. The physical standards required for combat soldiers will have to be the same for women. However, their right to maternity leave must be protected through administrative/institutional policies. One may make a guess that most parents would not be very comfortable with the idea of induction of women at the jawan level, but that still does not mean that there won’t be volunteers. Even a small number making the cut would be a major achievement.
As of now, women are inducted in the Army only at the officer level in non-combat roles. Time is now ripe to start inducting them for combat roles at the officer level and simultaneously at the jawan level for other arms and services.
Despite of all their courage and competitiveness, the role of women in armed forces is limited only to medical professions such as doctors, nurses, law, engineering, executive cadres and not into Army Combat Role. This status of women sparked outrage when Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat listed out strings of reasons like they have the responsibility of raising kids and a woman officer would feel uncomfortable at the frontline and accuse jawans of peeping as she changes clothes. General Rawat said that while he was ready to introduce women to combat roles, the Army may not be ready as most jawans come from villages and they may not accept a woman officer leading them.
He also highlighted the issue of maternity leave and said the Army would not be able to give her leave if she is the commanding officer as she can’t leave her unit for six months, but said objecting to the leave could create a “ruckus”.
The Indian Army chief was caught on the wrong side of the gender debate and the volte-face and the rationale for it were mostly administrative in nature and missed the woods for the trees. The field conditions in the Army are much more rugged and proximity to comrades and adversary poses greater challenges. The cultural argument put forward by the COAS that the junior rank who are mostly of rural origin, may not be ready to accept a woman as their officer could be true but is surely not an immutable condition. Countries that have inducted women in combat roles have not found it easy to assimilate the change and perhaps there is something to gain from their experience although there is a variance in the cultural environment. In any case, it is a matter of mindset and what better place to change mindsets than the Indian Army.
There are a plethora of challenges that need to be tackled through a trial-and-error method to evolve a planned induction. In principle, a woman in combat cannot seek special privileges on the ground of gender. The physical standards required for combat soldiers will have to be the same for women. However, their right to maternity leave must be protected through administrative/institutional policies. One may make a guess that most parents would not be very comfortable with the idea of induction of women at the jawan level, but that still does not mean that there won’t be volunteers. Even a small number making the cut would be a major achievement.
As of now, women are inducted in the Army only at the officer level in non-combat roles. Time is now ripe to start inducting them for combat roles at the officer level and simultaneously at the jawan level for other arms and services.
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