Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: At a time when the Indian Army is struggling with sharp decline in women officers joining world’s third largest army, Defence Minister Monohar Parrikar on Monday mooted an idea of raising an all-women battalion and stationing of women on warships.

While pitching for greater role of women in the armed forces, Parrikar said that the recent induction of female fighter pilots has broken the “first psychological barrier”.

Speaking at a event organised by FICCI FLO, the women wing of the industry chamber, Parrikar said induction of women through the National Defence Academy and allowing girl students in Sainik schools can also be considered.

“In combat roles also there can be women. Why not have a complete women team, battalion of women. So the question of women officers leading a men’s team, if there is question of initial resistance to it, can also be taken care of,” he said. Parrikar said that sometime in future, he would sit with the chiefs of all forces. He said that even though India is a country of Jhansi ki Rani and Durga, women have been made to stay away due to various reasons. “If the Army and the Navy are opened up for combat roles for women, India will join the small club of countries in the world, including the US and Israel, to have such a system.

“There is a thinking that soldiers will not listen to a Commanding Officer who is a lady because they are not trained to do that. I don’t agree with this as the only restriction today is infrastructure,” he added.

“When I became Defence Minister, I thought that we need to do a strategic move,” he said noting that normally armed forces are male dominated.

“I don’t understand why we can’t place women on ships. At this stage, I will not support a submarine operation because submarines are designed for unigender or one area for staff. There are no separate areas for women. “But ships can be modified and new ships can be designed to have facilities for women,” he said adding that there is also a question of taking women officers through the NDA. Ruing that it took nearly four months for the file on induction of women in combat role to reach him despite his prodding, Parrikar said he would soon meet with the three service chiefs to work out increasing role of females.

“I support women rights, empowerment but I believe changes have to be done in a gradual manner because if you don’t do that there will be problems,” he said. However, Parrikar made it clear that the “affirmative action” towards empowerment of women will be done gradually without compromising main task of armed forces which is national security.