Editorial: In the driving seat

From recruitment and getting permanent commission to securing command positions, women have had to fight discrimination that has excluded them from equality in these roles

Hyderabad: The Indian Air Force selecting a woman officer to command a frontline combat unit — the first line of defence to tackle air intrusion — is a watershed moment for the armed forces in the journey towards gender parity. Group Captain Shaliza Dhami has created history by becoming the first commanding officer of a missile squadron in Punjab, breaking yet another glass ceiling for women in defence forces. This is a remarkable achievement in view of the formidable barriers to gender equality that women soldiers — barring medical, legal and education units — have faced at every stage in the defence forces. It has been a long fight for women to get into combat roles in the defence forces. From recruitment and getting permanent commission to securing command positions, they have had to fight the discrimination that has excluded them from equality in these roles. The women were up against a well-entrenched culture of status-quoism that proved to be the biggest stumbling block for undertaking transformative changes in the armed forces. However, the judiciary has played a key role in nudging the government and the defence establishment to provide equal opportunities to women at various levels. In 2020, the Supreme Court gave a landmark verdict, allowing absorption of women into permanent commission and putting them in the command roles. This was a long-pending demand to ensure gender justice. The government had then argued that since most soldiers were men from rural backgrounds, they were not mentally schooled to accept women officers in command. The SC rightly countered it by emphasising on the need for change in mindsets to bring about true equality in the Army.

The apex court has minced no words in pointing out the gender-skewed selection criteria adopted by the defence authorities. There is absolutely no justification for the armed forces to keep its positions of command out of the reach of female officers whose track record of service to the nation is beyond reproach. Ever since their entry into the tri-services was allowed, women have demonstrated the tenacity that met the exacting standards of the armed forces. With postings in difficult terrains and conflict zones, they have time and again proved that valour has no gender. In the past few years, the Indian military has taken several steps towards gender equality. The Army has recently cleared the path for its women in command roles with the selection of more than 100 of them as Colonels. And the Navy has given its women positions on frontline ships. Equal opportunity for men and women in the armed forces is now the law of the land. The military will do well to conduct an all-encompassing study to frame a policy for entry, training, terms and conditions and management of women in the armed forces incorporating the experience and best practices of all modern militaries.