Should we have more women in the defence forces?

                                              

Should we have more women in the defence forces?

In our country women for ever have suffered maltreatment in the hands of the men because our social system hails patriarchy. But in spite of everything when we walk back in time or glance down the pages of Indian history, our heart and soul brims with pride because of some of the outstanding women figures like Rani of Jhansi-Laxmi Bai, Razia Sultana, Chand Bibi and Jija Bai, who all astounded the world with the courage they displayed by playing a dominant role in defending their empire from their enemies.

 The land of India has given birth to some very undaunted and daredevil women who were bred up to wield the sword and defend their empire along with managing the home front. In Indian politics too women played a dominant part and we all know how successful Indira Gandhi was as prime minister with the longest term period in the country! Today, there are many brave young women who are a part of our defence services, but while women can join the Forces, how many actually opt for it as their first career choice? 

Why is there so much debate on woman’s inclusion in defence forces?

In modern times women are holding very high offices in our country, for example the former President Pratibha Patil, but still when the question of inducting women in the Indian defence forces is raised, you would get to hear a buzz of debate coming from the different strata & genres of society. 

The main reason for this is that our society still cannot get rid of its gender-bias, no matter how modern we claim to be. We think that the role of ‘defending’ is something best done by the stronger sex; i.e. the men, while the weaker dainty ‘fair sex’ has to be fenced out of that particular domain. The entire debate actually springs from this biased mentally. 

This kind of gender bias however contradicts the spiritual thoughts and emotions of the Indian common masses, where women are often looked upon as a replica of Mata Shakti or Chamunda, who destroyed the demon Mahisasura in order to defend the Devatas. 

Now the question is whether India really needs a woman’s perspective for defence or whether it should be left fully to the men? Let’s take a look at some key points that the debate has to offer:

People who say ‘Yes’-What are the reasons?

According to some, women must be included in all spheres of the defence forces in the country and the percentage of inclusion should be raised. They justify their opinion with reasons like women can help the Indian army with their skills to remain unperturbed at the teeth of adversities, take instant decisions when required, self-adaptability, strength of will, self-motivational strength, optimistic and hardworking attitude. At times women can make very shrewd diplomats as well. All these skills of a woman can actually work to the advantage of all the members of the battalion before or during warfare. 

People who say ‘No’-What are the reasons?

There is however another group who are against women joining the defence forces. According to them, women are not biologically as strong as men. No matter how much you train them, you can’t change the law of nature after all. They will never gain in as much endurance and tenacity as that of a male army officer or soldier. Therefore it’s hard for them to sustain in battlefield. 

Also joining army means spending a chunk of one’s career in non-family postings, or sometimes long training courses that means the woman has to be away from one’s family, which may jeopardize their family life. Thirdly, being soft at heart and highly emotional in nature, women are often unable to bear the gory sights of bloodshed in the battlefield. Thus defence forces are not meant for them.

The Question

In reality, the Defence Forces of India have seemed what may be the perfect solution. Women in the armed forces are often only short commissioned officers, which mean they serve no more than 5 to 10 years, post which they can lead a normal family life. Also, they are included in only certain cores of the Army, where a woman fits in best. Examples are the Education core, Medical core, Engineers Core etc. These women rarely ever see combat, though they are trained for it, and postings in volatile active regions are rarely ever given to women.

However, the question here is – Should women be selected for only certain roles in the armed forces? Or should women have the choice to decide what role they want to play in the defence services based on their aptitude and calibre, just like men can?