Women Call the Shots!
Suddenly, women are everywhere.
They may have worn the uniform for only a few years, but women have
certainly earned themselves laurels. A woman doctor has reached the
rank of Major General and now we have Padma Bandopadhya, the first
woman Air Commodore, commanding one of the most prestigious medical
establishments of the Air Force, the Central Medical Establishment
in Delhi. The Army Medical Corps (AMC) is more than 150 years old.
And women have been a part of its team of doctors for more than 65
years.
One can almost hear a snort from some 'hard core' (read male chauvinist)
soldiers, "Oh yes, they are alright as doctors but keep them out of
the fighting arm!"
Fortunately, attitudes towards women's work have not remained as conservative.
It has taken time, and it was only in the last decade that women joining
the defence services was considered acceptable. Women were inducted
into the other arms of the Army, Air Force and Navy in 1992. As of
date, there are nearly 850 women enrolled in the officer cadre of
the three services, forming a tiny percentage of the total.
But once the gates opened for women, there was no stopping them. There
are women flying choppers and huge transport aircraft. There are women
(wo)manning the radars and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and there
are women in command of machines and logistics. Quietly and steadily
they have stepped into what was formerly a sacrosanct male arena.
Only men wore the uniform and were encouraged to develop the 'macho'
image of heavy drinking and heavy swearing -- the 'ultimate soldier'
as it were.
Needless to say, even the ultimate soldier is prepared to accept the
'bovine scatology' (bullshit, for you!) from his seniors. But when
it comes to a senior who has curves and fills out the uniform in all
the wrong places, he balks! How can he take orders from a woman?!
By the reaction it generates, it would seem to be against the very
essence of malehood itself.
This forms the crux of the problems facing women who have entered
the defence services because taking and giving orders is an integral
part of the job. Every officer has so many men under him/her, and
maintaining discipline is essential.
Some feel that it is better to avoid the problem rather than face
the contentious issue of chain of command on a daily basis. According
to a senior army officer's wife, "Women are good at providing support
services like logistics, supplies, medicine and handling the telephone
systems. But they are best kept out of the combat regions. Culturally
our men are not yet ready to accept orders from a woman."
Yet, women are not deterred by this obstacle, and are forging ahead
in various arms of the defence services. Jitender Kaur, currently
based at the Army Headquarters is very happy with her work and is
glad she chose to join the army. Sujata Chandra who is with the ordnance
corps, is the daughter of a retired army officer and is proud of carrying
on the family tradition.
These young women are a treat to talk to. Their bearing is dignified
and they stride tall amongst their peers. Both of them brush away
the problems as being very minor and nothing that they cannot handle.
"We would have probably faced the same things if we had chosen to
work somewhere else other than the services," they maintain.
In the Air Force, things are a little better for women officers --
maybe because it is the youngest and the smallest of the three services.
Vandana, who is currently based at HQ Western Air Command is 25 and
has put about five years of service. She is very comfortable in her
role, living in the Officers Mess where her neighbour is Tarannum
who is based in the office of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS). Although
these two young officers are the only two female residents in the
Mess, it does not disturb them in any way. They have honed their skills
of handling people into a fine art -- a talent which holds them in
good stead while dealing with the men under their command.
Twenty-three-year old Sujata Tiwari is currently the only lady officer
posted at the Air Force Station in Srinagar. She is a dignified young
officer who considers it a matter of pride to "work in a male dominated
area". She has an open mind about opting for a permanent commission.
Bhavna Chhikara from the Signals Corps comes from an Air Force family
and has completed three years in service. She is justifiably proud
of her background and the level she has reached. This 26-year-old
is married to another officer in the same corps. She is quite happy
now because they are going to be posted together on their next posting
- or so they have been promised!
With women managing to fulfil their career aspirations in the defence
services, even combining their work with family and other responsibilities,
more and more young women are entering this field. Says a senior Air
Force officer's wife, "The enrolment of women in the services has
been a great boost to the morale of the women countrywide. Though
in general there is some protectiveness towards them, it is gratifying
to note that the young women manage to go through 90 per cent of their
duties without any hitches."
By Shyamola
Khanna
(Kind Courtesy: Women's Feature Service)
