New Delhi (Staff Correspondent), November 27: In a development that has almost once again led to deliberations over participation of women in defence forces in India, a top army officer has called for a comprehensive policy on gender neutrality as well as a “pragmatic performance analysis” of Colonel-rank women commanding officers (COs).
Reported by the Times of India, the officer, cited instances of women COs not measuring up to requisite standards due to their lack of training for command. The newspaper reported that women COs have been exhibiting poor “interpersonal relations”, with an “exaggerated tendency to complain” to senior commanders about their subordinates rather than exercising their own authority and powers first, as well as “lack of empathy” for officers and troops in their units.
It further went on to say that the officer reported that women COs view any professional disagreement or minor argument as insubordination. Women COs have also been found to over-centralise decision-making without proper consultations, in a “my way or highway” kind of approach, instead of a “directive style of command”, the officer said, as reported by TOI.
This, however, has sparked the debate once again on the lenses through which women’s role in the defence forces are looked at.
Gender equality in itself, when comes to defence forces, is a complex issue that experts believe requires more of a cultural shift to challenge stereotypes and redefine the role of women in the military.
In context of India, however, the country has taken several measures to be looked upon as a gender-neutral force. While the Indian Armed Forces have gender-neutral rules for employment, training, promotions, and postings, the Supreme Court had also ruled that women can serve in the armed forces on a permanent commission, which means they can serve until retirement.
Women in India are also eligible for all command appointments, and the Indian Air Force has empowered women to hold key positions, including commanding officers in combat units.
But the officer, as quoted by the Times of India, further went on to say that apart from lack of command training, the postings of these women officers also did not expose them to command roles.
TOI reported the officer as saying, “Hardly any woman officer has tenanted highpressure command/staff assignment prior to her role as the CO. With women officers not getting much exposure to operational tasks, “preferential treatment” has led to “lack of understanding of hardships and resultant lack of compassion for the troops involved in these tasks.”
But if we go by the present norms, women in India re now even eligible to join the National Defence Academy, with 19 cadets joining every six months, including 10 for the Indian Army. Women officers can even serve as pilots in the Corps of Army Aviation, which, when implemented was seen as a landmark decision in the Indian defence sector.
In fact, the women officers are even being considered for Colonel (Select Grade) ranks and are being given command appointments.
Other than these, waivers too have been given to women officers to rule out any impediment in career progression and they are allowed to join the Indian Army in both combat and non-combat roles, spanning different branches like the Army, Navy, and Air force.
The newspaper report further quotes the army officer saying that, “The desire to prove oneself in a field which was supposed to be a male bastion is likely a driver behind the over-ambitiousness in some women COs… In order to be perceived as strong individuals and avoid being judged as soft-hearted, women COs handle HR issues with a firmer hand than their male counterparts,” he added.
But not just in context of India, but if we see internationally also, even the United Nations believe that gender equality in defence should be the norm, and that empowering women in defence only leads to enhancement of collective security.
This is the reason time and again the UN has called for a collective action on order to be able to dismantle barriers that prevent women from fully participating in the defence forces. And at the same time there are successful examples of women soldiers in combat roles like in Israel, Germany, US and Australia.
But why is gender parity of significance in defence sector?
Experts believe that a diverse defence sector improves operational effectiveness by leveraging a broader range of skills and perspectives. Not only it bolsters community trust because amore inclusive defence sector is expected to build stronger trust with the communities it serves, but also women’s voices are needed to protect human rights, including women’s security, economic empowerment, and protection from human rights abuses.
Women’s role in defence sector is also crucial as it is seen as a fundamental requirement for building sustainable peace and women in defence can inspire girls to pursue non-traditional paths shaping up a society as a more diverse and stronger one.
Moreover, military operations require personnel with specialized skills in a wide range of areas, such as languages, psychology, information technology, and engineering, in which women have over time proven their excellence.
Even if we go by data, reports from around the globe highlight that in 2023, at least 13 per cent of defence ministers in the world were women. Furthermore, there was a 27 per cent increase in women’s representation in armed forces between 2016 and 2022, worldwide.
This is clearly indicative of the fact that not only the participation of women is increasing in the defence sector across countries but also is turning out to be more effective. However, only in the near future we will see what course does the Indian Army take in view of the recent complaint that has emerged wherein the functioning of the women COs have been found to be ineffective.
