March 8th is known worldwide as International Women’s Day, an annual celebration of women’s achievements. The event has its origins in the early 20th century with German activist Clara Zetkin, who organised the first Women’s Day in 1911. The date was later shifted to March 8th in 1913 and has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975. The theme for International Women’s Day in 2023 is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
Recently, on this significant day, Group Captain Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to command a missile squadron in the Western sector, facing Pakistan.
Women in the Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces started inducting women fighter pilots just seven years ago, in 2016. Today, women officers are part of various Army units, including Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Electronics and Mechanical Engineers.
At present, there are over 10,000 women officers serving in the armed forces, with the majority in medical services. This includes 1,705 women officers in the Indian Army, 1,640 in the IAF, and 559 in the Indian Navy. Notably, in 2023, the army deployed a woman officer, Captain Shiva Chouhan, on the Siachen glacier for the first time.
Gender Equality: A Worldwide Concern
Despite progress, gender equality remains a distant goal. The UN Secretary-General stated that at the current rate, gender equality is estimated to be achieved in 300 years. Globally, legal restrictions prevent 2.7 billion women from accessing the same job opportunities as men, and less than 25% of parliamentarians worldwide are women. Furthermore, it is estimated that one in three women experience gender-based violence.
The Situation of Women in India
In India, gender equality presents its unique challenges. According to data from December 2021 by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), while the male Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) was 67.4%, the female LFPR was notably lower at 9.4%. In comparison, the global average female labour force participation rate stood at 47%.
In terms of gender parity, the Global Gender Gap Index ranked India 135th in 2022. However, efforts are being made to better represent women’s participation at the local level in future reports, which could improve India’s ranking.
Challenges Faced by Women in the Armed Forces
Women in the Army face several obstacles, both societal and physiological. For instance, acceptance of women in commanding roles is still a challenge given societal norms. The fear of women officers being captured as prisoners of war also contributes to societal resistance.
Physiologically, women officers face challenges related to motherhood, childcare, and other psychological factors. These challenges intensify when both spouses serve in the military. Balancing professional commitments with domestic obligations becomes increasingly difficult due to prolonged absences during pregnancy, motherhood, and family responsibilities.
Family sacrifices also form part of these challenges, especially concerning the education of children and the career prospects of the spouse, considering the frequent transfers and periods of separation common in military service.