Army not ready for women in combat roles’

Army not ready for women in combat roles’

News

1. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat expressed his views about the role of women in armed forces.

Important Facts

2. Army Chief said that armed force would take in increasing numbers of woman officers in the coming years but it wasn’t ready yet to cast them in combat roles.
3. Reasons for not inducting women in combat role

• Social and cultural reason: Large numbers of army personnel come from the rural areas where the intermingling between genders is still not there.Harassment and resentment of the presence of women in a hyper masculine military subculture would likely become a problem. This is contrary to western nation where society is more open.
• Efficiency: Some women will be able to meet the required standards, but most will not. Army Chief is of the opinion that women need to be prepared to face hardships required for combat role.

4. However, General Rawatpointed out that there were several fields where women could be inducted and remarked that the Army was contemplating setting up a Permanent Commission for women in the forces.
5. General Rawat assures that there would be an increase in the role of women in the armed forces in coming years.
6. Army needs language interpreters as military diplomacy is gaining ground. Army general looking forward towards role of women as language interpreters as he observes that women interpreters are naturally linguistically proficient and militarily sound.