In
earlier times, women were not usually counted for a role in our Indian armed
forces. But now it's expanding day by day and touching heights as women
empowerment as well as an asset to our country.
Women
in Indian Armed Forces
More
and more women are getting recruited into the Indian armed forces as officers
and are commanding our armed forces at an equal level as men. It can be said
that gender equality was not followed earlier by our armed forces as it was
believed that women were not psychologically and socially psychologically and
even not physically fit and were also victims of facing many social issues in society.
But
later ignoring all of this and getting success, leaving all the hurdles behind,
the government took a significant step and recruited women in Indian Armed
Forces, they increased the women percentage ratio women officers and also other
ranks like combat and as well as medical services for our armed forces, to take
a push towards women empowerment.
Now
it's been set that our armed forces will be gender neutral and there will be no
distinction in working conditions of both genders while they are truly and
heartedly serving our nation standing at the same level of platform.
Moving
Towards Gender Equality
In
recent years, several countries have opened combat roles to women or have taken
steps toward gender equality in their armed forces.
For
example, in 2013, the United States officially lifted the ban on women serving
in ground combat units, allowing them to serve in combat roles. Other countries
that have integrated women into combat roles include Canada, Australia, Israel,
Norway, Sweden, and many others.
History of Women in a Combat Role
Firstly,
the women were recruited in Indian Armed Forces in Indian Military Nursing
Services (IMNS), as the recruited female nurses. And this was set in 1888 by
British Indian Army (BIA), which established a military branch, Indian Military
Nursing Services. Female nurses served during World War I and also World War
II.
It
was estimated that around 350 women were there who were either assumed dead, or
were taken as prisoners of war, or a few of them were also assumed and declared
missing the action of the war.
Later
in 1992, that was the time when women started getting recruited into the army for
proper combat roles and not just for medical roles but for non-medical roles in
Indian Army. The government brought a "Special Entry Scheme" which
then converted into SSC i.e. Short Service Commission which consisted of five
years of services for women in the Indian Armed Forces.
After
this, there was so much development and deployment of women officers over the
years in our armed forces, and are still going on.
Development Over The Years
In
2008, Army Education Corps and Judge Advocate General streams were termed as
permanent Commissions for women in defense. Then, in 2015 the government
started recruiting women as Fighter Pilots role in the Indian Air Force.
In
2018 a female fighter aircraft flying officer Chaturvedi of IAF marked history
by becoming the First Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo, MIG 21 Bison.
Later,
they introduced women as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police, Indian Navy
announced of deploying its first batch of women pilots on the Dornier Maritine
aircraft, also recently they introduced women in Agniveer, and also Indian Army
experienced, it’s the first batch of women in NDA, National Defence Academy and
many earlier as well as even after this.
Engineers,
intelligence and electronics, signals, and mechanical engineering are various
branches of the Army that are available for women in our armed forces.
But
there are still some places where women are not allowed as they cannot serve in
combat units like the infantry, the Armored Corps, and Mechanized infantry.
Issues
That Need to be Solved
Some
invincible issues need to be solved.
1.
Cultural barriers due to society and to be one of the biggest drawbacks in the induction
of women in combat. As it is a male-preserved society thus inserting Women into
it does have many consequences which raise eyebrows of the society.
2. The other major barrier can be marked as the physical difference between both genders. Women can be found more vulnerable to certain types of injuries and medical problems faced by them which may affect their performance during their vigorous and intensive training.
Written by Aditi Singh
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