Soon, Indian Army to allow women in combat roles

The Indian Army is all set to open up combat positions for women, a gender barrier broken by only a few countries globally. Army chief general Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat roles, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police. “I am looking at women coming as jawans. I am going to start it soon. Firstly, we will start with women as military police jawans,” he said. Currently, women are allowed in a number of select areas in the army, but combat roles are kept off limit for them due to various concerns.

I am looking at women coming as jawans. I am going to start it (the process of opening combat positions for women) soon... Will start with women as military police jawans. BIPIN RAWAT, Army chief

NEWDELHI: The Indian army is all set to open up combat positions for women, a gender barrier broken by only a few countries across the world.

Army chief general Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat roles, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police.

“I am looking at women coming as jawans. I am going to start it soon. Firstly, we will start with women as military police jawans,” he said, giving details of the move to allow women space in the male-dominated positions in the army.

Currently, women are allowed in a number of select areas including in medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the army, but combat roles are kept off limit for them due to a few operational concerns and logistical issues.

The army chief said he was ready to recruit women as jawans and the matter is being taken up with the government.

“We have already started the process,” Gen Rawat told news agency Press Trust of India in an exclusive interaction.

He added that women will have to show grit and strength in taking up challenges in different combat positions.

Only a handful of countries, including Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, Brit- ain, Denmark, Finland, France , Norway, Sweden and Israel, have allowed women in combat roles.

The roles of military police include policing the cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.

The Indian Air Force created history last year when it inducted three women as fighter pilots, less than a year after the government decided to allow it on an experimental basis.

A decision on having women as fighter pilots will be taken after evaluating performance of the three women— Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh who are now part of Indian Air Force’s fighter squadron.

The Indian Navy is currently deliberating on a policy of having women onboard ships.

The Navy allows women in various other segments including in legal, logistics, naval architecture and engineering departments.