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Rajnath Singh says women will be equal contributors in fight against terrorism, highlights role in armed forces
“Women have and will remain equal contributors in this fight, both within the armed forces and beyond them,” Rajnath Singh said.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday women have always been and will always remain equal contributors within the armed forces in India. Singh said that terrorism is a common threat to the countries under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that “challenges us in equal measure” and it reinforced the role of all citizens in the fight against it.
“And this fight cannot be won by half the population of our region or of a country. Women have and will remain equal contributors in this fight, both within the armed forces and beyond them,” Singh during his address at the SCO international webinar on the role of women in the armed forces.
While mentioning women who reached the helm of Indian administration, Singh referred to former prime minister Indira Gandhi and former president Pratibha Patil and said that women reaching higher ranks within the armed forces came as no surprise. “It, therefore, comes as no surprise that a number of women have reached the rank of lieutenant general and equivalent within the Indian armed forces, leading their men and women under the most challenging conditions,” he said.
The defence minister also said that the country was amongst the oldest to induct women into its armed forces and highlighted the role of women in the Indian Military Nursing Service for more than 100 years now. He also said that the army had begun commissioning women in 1992 and they are now present within most branches.
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“Women are now being accepted for permanent commission and shall be commanding army units and battalions in near future,” he said. “I am happy to share with you that from next year, women shall be able to join our premier tri-service pre-commissioning training institute, the National Defence Academy,” he added.
Singh also said that the role of women should be recognised and reinforced in all spheres of security and nation-building, apart from their role in the armed forces. He also pointed to the role of women in the navy, the coast guard and the UN peacekeeping missions within the services and said that India’s approach has been progressive towards their induction into these services.
“We have found that the process of induction, given its broad-based and progressive path, has also simultaneously prepared the society and the armed forces for this change. This is an important aspect to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” he said.
The ministry of defence said in February this year that the Indian Army has 6,807 women or 0.56 per cent of its total strength, the Indian Air Force 1,607 or 1.08 per cent and the Indian Navy 704 women officers or 6.5 per cent of the arm’s strength.
