When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens.&nbsp;

In the latest diktat, the Taliban banned women from entering gyms and public parks, further squeezing women from public spaces.&nbsp;

Earlier the regime ruled that women should cover their faces in public spaces and instructed them to get out of their homes only in cases of necessity. Women are barred from most jobs outside the home. According to one of the restrictions imposed, only women whose jobs could not be done by men were allowed to come to work. According to a similar announcement, the only job that women could do for the Taliban regime was to clean female bathrooms in public buildings.&nbsp;

The regime has also abolished the ministry for women’s affairs and has ultimately removed women from any kind of political participation.&nbsp;

And that’s not all, women are banned from travelling long distances without a male relative and in cases where women are not accompanied by a close male relative, they are then denied access to essential services.&nbsp;

Women in Afghanistan are living under a constant threat of violence, deprived of basic rights, these Afghan women and girls are relentlessly carrying on with their lives.&nbsp;

Various women activists in Afghanistan say that the Taliban’s newly intensified attacks and threats against women are partly in response to Afghan women’s sustained demands for equal rights.&nbsp;

The Taliban were previously forcing these restrictions on women through the morality police in the country but now countless Taliban men have taken the role of enforcers dictating terms to women in the country.&nbsp;

Taliban abuses and restrictions reported by women in recent weeks-

<ol>
	<li>Female students who earned high school diplomas before the Taliban took over have been prohibited from registering for further studies.</li>
	<li>A woman in Kabul reported that the Taliban members had entered the girls’ elementary schools to enforce the regime’s month-old order of covering the full face except for the eyes. During these recent raids, the Taliban enforcers beat the violators with electrical cable sticks. In one such case, they even harassed a five-year-old girl who did not cover her face.</li>
	<li>In some cases, the Taliban have even ordered principals of schools to examine the bodies of 10-11-year-old girls checking for signs of puberty and further expel girls from school who appear to be older.</li>
</ol>

For all the women in Afghanistan, life has taken a 180-degree turn. Around 14 million Afghan women and girls have lost their right to work, to go to school.

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When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens.

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens. In the latest diktat, the Taliban banned women from entering gyms and public parks, further squeezing women from public spaces. Earlier the regime ruled that women should cover their faces in public spaces and instructed them to get out of their homes only in cases of necessity. Women are barred from most jobs outside the home. According to one of the restrictions imposed, only women whose jobs could not be done by men were allowed to come to work. According to a similar announcement, the only job that women could do for the Taliban regime was to clean female bathrooms in public buildings. The regime has also abolished the ministry for women’s affairs and has ultimately removed women from any kind of political participation. And that’s not all, women are banned from travelling long distances without a male relative and in cases where women are not accompanied by a close male relative, they are then denied access to essential services. Women in Afghanistan are living under a constant threat of violence, deprived of basic rights, these Afghan women and girls are relentlessly carrying on with their lives. Various women activists in Afghanistan say that the Taliban’s newly intensified attacks and threats against women are partly in response to Afghan women’s sustained demands for equal rights. The Taliban were previously forcing these restrictions on women through the morality police in the country but now countless Taliban men have taken the role of enforcers dictating terms to women in the country. Taliban abuses and restrictions reported by women in recent weeks- Female students who earned high school diplomas before the Taliban took over have been prohibited from registering for further studies. A woman in Kabul reported that the Taliban members had entered the girls’ elementary schools to enforce the regime’s month-old order of covering the full face except for the eyes. During these recent raids, the Taliban enforcers beat the violators with electrical cable sticks. In one such case, they even harassed a five-year-old girl who did not cover her face. In some cases, the Taliban have even ordered principals of schools to examine the bodies of 10-11-year-old girls checking for signs of puberty and further expel girls from school who appear to be older. For all the women in Afghanistan, life has taken a 180-degree turn. Around 14 million Afghan women and girls have lost their right to work, to go to school. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Life under the 'new Taliban'

Britain’s former chancellor Rishi Sunak is leading the race to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. The Indian-origin leader has cemented his lead over four other rivals and has gained a sufficient lead in the first two rounds of voting.

Apart from former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the other hopefuls are Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, UK foreign secretary Liz Truss, Chairman of foreign affairs committee Tom Tugendhat and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch.

In the first round, Sunak secured 88 votes followed by Trade minister Penny Mordaunt at 67. Meanwhile, in the second round, Sunak maintained the lead with 101 votes followed by Mordaunt at 83 votes.

Sunak who is the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy is widely expected to make it to the final two candidates to be put to the party membership.

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However despite the numbers on Sunak’s side, a snap YouGov poll of the Tory party has found that Trade minister Penny Mordaunt has a higher chance of winning the race than Sunak. Polls further suggest how Mordaunt is the bookie's favourite to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. Betting odds claim that Mordaunt has a 50 per cent&nbsp;chance of winning the election compared to Sunak at 34.7 per cent.

Until the past few months, Sunak was seen as the frontrunner to succeed Johnson but his popularity has taken a hit after he introduced several policies like national insurance rise which went down with the Tory MPs. Apart from this, the revelation that his wife the multimillionaire Akshata Murthy held non-domicile status which helped her evade paying UK tax was also brought to the table. However, this particular issue was raised by Sunak in the second round of televised debate where he asserted how he was proud of Murthy’s family and all that they have achieved.

So far there have been two rounds of voting and two televised debates out of which Sunak and Truss have emerged as front runners with Penny Mordaunt placed at third. The last televised debate saw some of the fiercest clashes between Sunak and Truss whose divisions on the economy and ways and means to combat inflation were laid bare.

Meanwhile, there have also been reports that have emerged on how Boris Johnson has privately told Tories to back anyone but Rishi Sunak for the country’s top post.

Despite mud-slinging and backbiting, the United Kingdom will have its new prime minister on September 5.

Watch WION's live TV here:

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Britain’s former chancellor Rishi Sunak is leading the race to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. The Indian-origin leader has cemented his lead over four other rivals and has gained a sufficient lead in the first two rounds of voting.

Britain’s former chancellor Rishi Sunak is leading the race to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. The Indian-origin leader has cemented his lead over four other rivals and has gained a sufficient lead in the first two rounds of voting. Apart from former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the other hopefuls are Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, UK foreign secretary Liz Truss, Chairman of foreign affairs committee Tom Tugendhat and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch. In the first round, Sunak secured 88 votes followed by Trade minister Penny Mordaunt at 67. Meanwhile, in the second round, Sunak maintained the lead with 101 votes followed by Mordaunt at 83 votes. Sunak who is the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy is widely expected to make it to the final two candidates to be put to the party membership. × However despite the numbers on Sunak’s side, a snap YouGov poll of the Tory party has found that Trade minister Penny Mordaunt has a higher chance of winning the race than Sunak. Polls further suggest how Mordaunt is the bookie's favourite to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. Betting odds claim that Mordaunt has a 50 per cent chance of winning the election compared to Sunak at 34.7 per cent. Until the past few months, Sunak was seen as the frontrunner to succeed Johnson but his popularity has taken a hit after he introduced several policies like national insurance rise which went down with the Tory MPs. Apart from this, the revelation that his wife the multimillionaire Akshata Murthy held non-domicile status which helped her evade paying UK tax was also brought to the table. However, this particular issue was raised by Sunak in the second round of televised debate where he asserted how he was proud of Murthy’s family and all that they have achieved. So far there have been two rounds of voting and two televised debates out of which Sunak and Truss have emerged as front runners with Penny Mordaunt placed at third. The last televised debate saw some of the fiercest clashes between Sunak and Truss whose divisions on the economy and ways and means to combat inflation were laid bare. Meanwhile, there have also been reports that have emerged on how Boris Johnson has privately told Tories to back anyone but Rishi Sunak for the country’s top post. Despite mud-slinging and backbiting, the United Kingdom will have its new prime minister on September 5. Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Rise of Rishi Sunak: Will he be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom?

The Indian armed forces are going through a major churn. The new recruitment scheme called Agnipath has led to violent protests in various parts of India.&nbsp;

But before we tell you the reason for these demonstrations, let’s first understand what the scheme is, what the government has offered and how the Indian army will benefit if at all.&nbsp;

Agnipath is a recruitment scheme for personnel who are below officer rank. The scheme aims to enrol youths who will be called ‘agniveers’ for four years. After completion of their tenure, only 25% will be retained in the regular cadre, the remaining 75% will be demobilised with an exit package.&nbsp;

The Indian government has listed a slew of advantages of the new scheme, primarily with a focus on how it will reduce defence pensions in the armed forces and cut the ballooning salary. It aims to bring down the average age in the armed forces to 26 by the end of 2030 by having fitter, younger and trainable troops.

Apart from this, the money that will be saved through this scheme will be used for the modernisation of the Indian army and more usage of technology.&nbsp;

However, despite the advantages listed, there are scores of protests that have erupted in various cities demanding a rollback of the scheme which hires soldiers for a fixed four-year term. Most of them assert on how the new recruitment scheme does not offer security for a government job nor does it provide retirement benefits like pension.&nbsp;

They are also complaining about how the new scheme hinders their claim for monetary benefits since the centre plans to absorb only 25 per cent of agniveers after the completion of their 4-year tenure.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, as the stir continues the Indian army has issued a notification relating to the first round of recruitment the registration for which will start in July, it has further clarified that the recruitment process will remain unchanged and the traditional regimentation system in the Indian military will continue.&nbsp;

However not all in the armed forces are happy with the scheme, a lot of veterans have expressed concerns over the recruitment plan highlighting how the scheme will reduce camaraderie within the regiments and adversely impact the armed forces’ organisational ethos which is the bedrock of fighting arms and comradeship under the banner ‘Naam, Namak our Nishan’.&nbsp;

A lot of retired army personnel have suggested that the troops that are recruited through this scheme should be inducted in what is described as non-combat arms; troops under this arm do not take part in direct hostilities.&nbsp;

While it is imperative to have a youthful profile in the forces, a radical recruitment plan like this should have been a pilot project which could have been assessed and then implemented across the board.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>. 
 
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The Indian armed forces are going through a major churn. The new recruitment scheme called Agnipath has led to violent protests in various parts of India. But before we tell you the reason for these demonstrations, let’s first understand what the scheme is, what the government has offered and how the Indian army will benefit if at all.

The Indian armed forces are going through a major churn. The new recruitment scheme called Agnipath has led to violent protests in various parts of India. But before we tell you the reason for these demonstrations, let’s first understand what the scheme is, what the government has offered and how the Indian army will benefit if at all. Agnipath is a recruitment scheme for personnel who are below officer rank. The scheme aims to enrol youths who will be called ‘agniveers’ for four years. After completion of their tenure, only 25% will be retained in the regular cadre, the remaining 75% will be demobilised with an exit package. The Indian government has listed a slew of advantages of the new scheme, primarily with a focus on how it will reduce defence pensions in the armed forces and cut the ballooning salary. It aims to bring down the average age in the armed forces to 26 by the end of 2030 by having fitter, younger and trainable troops. Apart from this, the money that will be saved through this scheme will be used for the modernisation of the Indian army and more usage of technology. However, despite the advantages listed, there are scores of protests that have erupted in various cities demanding a rollback of the scheme which hires soldiers for a fixed four-year term. Most of them assert on how the new recruitment scheme does not offer security for a government job nor does it provide retirement benefits like pension. They are also complaining about how the new scheme hinders their claim for monetary benefits since the centre plans to absorb only 25 per cent of agniveers after the completion of their 4-year tenure. Meanwhile, as the stir continues the Indian army has issued a notification relating to the first round of recruitment the registration for which will start in July, it has further clarified that the recruitment process will remain unchanged and the traditional regimentation system in the Indian military will continue. However not all in the armed forces are happy with the scheme, a lot of veterans have expressed concerns over the recruitment plan highlighting how the scheme will reduce camaraderie within the regiments and adversely impact the armed forces’ organisational ethos which is the bedrock of fighting arms and comradeship under the banner ‘Naam, Namak our Nishan’. A lot of retired army personnel have suggested that the troops that are recruited through this scheme should be inducted in what is described as non-combat arms; troops under this arm do not take part in direct hostilities. While it is imperative to have a youthful profile in the forces, a radical recruitment plan like this should have been a pilot project which could have been assessed and then implemented across the board. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Opinion | Mathematics of the Agnipath scheme

A first of its kind model, the Indian Army has come up with a new recruitment model; it is called the Tour of Duty in which civilians can be recruited into three services of the armed forces for four years.

Unlike short service commission officers where an officer serves in the Indian army for 10 years, the latest model of Tour of Duty offers a comparatively low duration of service.

The eligibility criteria however remain the same debarring the length of the service. Meanwhile, 25 per cent&nbsp;of the soldiers who will be recruited under the new scheme will be re-enlisted for full service after a month.

The four-year stint will include six months of training and three and a half years of service. In the past few months there have been various discussions circling the new recruitment scheme and the nuances it brings to the table.

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The scheme attracts those who seek to join the armed forces without adopting it as a full-time career. However since no proposal gets traction just like that, the proposal was pushed by several drivers.

And in the next few minutes of this article, we will decode the pro and cons of the Indian Army’s Tour of Duty process.

How will the Tour of Duty be beneficial for the Indian Army?

The basic thought process behind the proposal is to reduce expenditure on military pensions. India’s budget for the financial year 2022-23 allocated is Rs 5.25 lakh crore for defence which includes the defence pension component of about Rs 1.2 lakh crore and a reduced pension component will lead to a larger capital outlay.

With this, in view, the proposal is believed to envisage recruiting personnel into the army for short tenures on a volunteer basis. It will further help in producing a better and large number of soldiers in less time and with fewer investments.

The money saved by this process could be used to focus more on the advancement of technology and military modernisation.

Secondly, the tour of duty will serve as a golden opportunity for India’s youth to experience military life without having to join the armed forces on a long-term basis. It will eventually produce better disciplined and experienced youth who could venture out into other fields after the tenure of their service.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-indias-astra-missile-on-iafs-su-30-can-change-air-dynamics-in-indian-ocean-region-485091" hreflang="en">How India's Astra missile on IAF's Su-30 can change air dynamics in Indian Ocean Region</a>

Anchored on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major reform of reducing expenditure and age profile of defence forces, the best among the chosen lot of soldiers will have the opportunity to continue their service in case vacancies are available.

While those who leave the forces after a period of four years will have a plethora of options on their table. Several corporations will show interest in reserving jobs for trained and disciplined youth who have served their nation.

The Tour of duty soldiers will ensure that a large quantum of the workforce is dedicated and skilled thus enhancing the output of the government and the private sector.

Possible disadvantages of TOD

While there is a clarion call for the tour of duty scheme to be implemented, there are also voices that are vehemently against it.

Veteran army officers have the opinion that the step will not be successful owing to the short duration of the service, they believe that instead of devoting fully to the army, there are high chances that these intern soldiers could be focusing on just building their resume.

Meanwhile, there are also apprehensions about how the duration of the tenure is too less. TOD soldiers will not have the opportunity to attend professional courses where a soldier is groomed through several training courses like the YO’s course, Platoon Weapons course and various other courses where the actual grooming takes place. A TOD soldier will never get the time or the bandwidth to be trained or learn the ethos of the ‘paltan’ and the army.

In the end, the new ‘Agneepath’ scheme is structured in a very business-like feeling where a message that a potential youth gets is number one that you can serve in the Indian Army without any shackles of commitment.

Secondly apart from getting the prestigious stamp of military duty, you can earn more than double the pay as compared to a fresher in the corporate world.

A first of its kind model, the Indian Army has come up with a new recruitment model; it is called the Tour of Duty in which civilians can be recruited into three services of the armed forces for four years.

A first of its kind model, the Indian Army has come up with a new recruitment model; it is called the Tour of Duty in which civilians can be recruited into three services of the armed forces for four years. Unlike short service commission officers where an officer serves in the Indian army for 10 years, the latest model of Tour of Duty offers a comparatively low duration of service. The eligibility criteria however remain the same debarring the length of the service. Meanwhile, 25 per cent of the soldiers who will be recruited under the new scheme will be re-enlisted for full service after a month. The four-year stint will include six months of training and three and a half years of service. In the past few months there have been various discussions circling the new recruitment scheme and the nuances it brings to the table. The scheme attracts those who seek to join the armed forces without adopting it as a full-time career. However since no proposal gets traction just like that, the proposal was pushed by several drivers. And in the next few minutes of this article, we will decode the pro and cons of the Indian Army’s Tour of Duty process. How will the Tour of Duty be beneficial for the Indian Army? The basic thought process behind the proposal is to reduce expenditure on military pensions. India’s budget for the financial year 2022-23 allocated is Rs 5.25 lakh crore for defence which includes the defence pension component of about Rs 1.2 lakh crore and a reduced pension component will lead to a larger capital outlay. With this, in view, the proposal is believed to envisage recruiting personnel into the army for short tenures on a volunteer basis. It will further help in producing a better and large number of soldiers in less time and with fewer investments. The money saved by this process could be used to focus more on the advancement of technology and military modernisation. Secondly, the tour of duty will serve as a golden opportunity for India’s youth to experience military life without having to join the armed forces on a long-term basis. It will eventually produce better disciplined and experienced youth who could venture out into other fields after the tenure of their service. Also see | How India's Astra missile on IAF's Su-30 can change air dynamics in Indian Ocean Region Anchored on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major reform of reducing expenditure and age profile of defence forces, the best among the chosen lot of soldiers will have the opportunity to continue their service in case vacancies are available. While those who leave the forces after a period of four years will have a plethora of options on their table. Several corporations will show interest in reserving jobs for trained and disciplined youth who have served their nation. The Tour of duty soldiers will ensure that a large quantum of the workforce is dedicated and skilled thus enhancing the output of the government and the private sector. Possible disadvantages of TOD While there is a clarion call for the tour of duty scheme to be implemented, there are also voices that are vehemently against it. Veteran army officers have the opinion that the step will not be successful owing to the short duration of the service, they believe that instead of devoting fully to the army, there are high chances that these intern soldiers could be focusing on just building their resume. Meanwhile, there are also apprehensions about how the duration of the tenure is too less. TOD soldiers will not have the opportunity to attend professional courses where a soldier is groomed through several training courses like the YO’s course, Platoon Weapons course and various other courses where the actual grooming takes place. A TOD soldier will never get the time or the bandwidth to be trained or learn the ethos of the ‘paltan’ and the army. In the end, the new ‘Agneepath’ scheme is structured in a very business-like feeling where a message that a potential youth gets is number one that you can serve in the Indian Army without any shackles of commitment. Secondly apart from getting the prestigious stamp of military duty, you can earn more than double the pay as compared to a fresher in the corporate world.

Indian Army’s Tour of Duty: An analysis

The position of women in the armed forces, which is described as a male-dominated establishment generally, offers a limited window for any kind of change in the role of women in occupational and bureaucratic structures. However, breaking the glass ceiling, two women officers have been selected to train as helicopter pilots at Combat Army Training School, Nashik. Till now, women officers were only limited to performing ground duties in the Army Aviation Corps.

In today’s times, women are walking shoulder to shoulder with men in all occupations.&nbsp;However, gender equality is still a paramount challenge in the armed forces. The Supreme Court last year ruled that women could serve as army commanders further granting permanent commission and promotions equal to their male counterparts.&nbsp;

The decisions stood in stark contrast to the Centre’s opinion, which belonged to the school of thought that women were not suitable for commanding posts in the army because male troops were not yet ready to accept their orders. However, women officers of the Indian Army are of the opinion that the trained soldiers should focus on the rank of the officer and not the gender. They further reiterate that performance should be criteria to decide, who rises in the ranks.

Since time, immemorial women have proved their mettle and performed extremely well in peace locations and in hostile zones. The role of women in the Indian Army began in 1888 when the ‘Indian Military Nursing Service’ was formed during the British Raj but it was only in 1992 that the organisation opened doors and started inducting women in non-medical roles. In 2015, India also opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots. However, despite all these developments, the women in the Indian armed forces that constitute 3% of the Indian army are still not allowed to be a part of the active combat.

Active combat also known as the fighting arms of the armed forces is predominantly defined as individuals or groups fighting in a war and the causalities suffered in combat.&nbsp;

Employment of women in combat forces has become a paramount issue in the present day, there are two schools of thoughts emerging, the first professing that women officers are on a par with the male officers while performing the job on the other hand, the supporters of latter claim that it is the exploitation of women to deploy them in combat areas since they are not physically and psychologically fit to perform the job.

However, if we trace back in history, women have contributed their bit in the armed forces by working in the defence industry during the world wars. There were huge influxes of women in munitions, the work that was done by men previously. About a million women worked in munitions factories during the First World War making guns, shells and explosives.

The whole assumption that women lack resolution along with how fragility and delicacy are synonym to a women’s character has just erupted in the contemporary era because history is the testimony of the fact that women have always shown courage and valour.

The pivotal questions that lies here is that why is war a man’s business? The main reason quoted by the generals of the Indian Army and the people, who follow the latter school of thought is that, they are concerned over women’s vulnerability if captured and over their physical and mental ability to cope with the frontline deployments. Under such circumstances, the constant question being, whether women should serve in combat roles? The liberals argue that women should get access to the same military jobs as men; they are of the opinion that through this woman would also gain a greater political power. The conservatives reject the notion of women in combat. In the current status quo, women have been fighting for their right to equality in all spheres of occupation, they are demanding equal opportunity at workplace, hence, making the Indian army no exception to this wave of equality. The relevant question being that does the military need to change with the changing times?

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

The position of women in the armed forces, which is described as a male-dominated establishment generally, offers a limited window for any kind of change in the role of women in occupational and bureaucratic structures.

The position of women in the armed forces, which is described as a male-dominated establishment generally, offers a limited window for any kind of change in the role of women in occupational and bureaucratic structures. However, breaking the glass ceiling, two women officers have been selected to train as helicopter pilots at Combat Army Training School, Nashik. Till now, women officers were only limited to performing ground duties in the Army Aviation Corps. In today’s times, women are walking shoulder to shoulder with men in all occupations. However, gender equality is still a paramount challenge in the armed forces. The Supreme Court last year ruled that women could serve as army commanders further granting permanent commission and promotions equal to their male counterparts. The decisions stood in stark contrast to the Centre’s opinion, which belonged to the school of thought that women were not suitable for commanding posts in the army because male troops were not yet ready to accept their orders. However, women officers of the Indian Army are of the opinion that the trained soldiers should focus on the rank of the officer and not the gender. They further reiterate that performance should be criteria to decide, who rises in the ranks. Since time, immemorial women have proved their mettle and performed extremely well in peace locations and in hostile zones. The role of women in the Indian Army began in 1888 when the ‘Indian Military Nursing Service’ was formed during the British Raj but it was only in 1992 that the organisation opened doors and started inducting women in non-medical roles. In 2015, India also opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots. However, despite all these developments, the women in the Indian armed forces that constitute 3% of the Indian army are still not allowed to be a part of the active combat. Active combat also known as the fighting arms of the armed forces is predominantly defined as individuals or groups fighting in a war and the causalities suffered in combat. Employment of women in combat forces has become a paramount issue in the present day, there are two schools of thoughts emerging, the first professing that women officers are on a par with the male officers while performing the job on the other hand, the supporters of latter claim that it is the exploitation of women to deploy them in combat areas since they are not physically and psychologically fit to perform the job. However, if we trace back in history, women have contributed their bit in the armed forces by working in the defence industry during the world wars. There were huge influxes of women in munitions, the work that was done by men previously. About a million women worked in munitions factories during the First World War making guns, shells and explosives. The whole assumption that women lack resolution along with how fragility and delicacy are synonym to a women’s character has just erupted in the contemporary era because history is the testimony of the fact that women have always shown courage and valour. The pivotal questions that lies here is that why is war a man’s business? The main reason quoted by the generals of the Indian Army and the people, who follow the latter school of thought is that, they are concerned over women’s vulnerability if captured and over their physical and mental ability to cope with the frontline deployments. Under such circumstances, the constant question being, whether women should serve in combat roles? The liberals argue that women should get access to the same military jobs as men; they are of the opinion that through this woman would also gain a greater political power. The conservatives reject the notion of women in combat. In the current status quo, women have been fighting for their right to equality in all spheres of occupation, they are demanding equal opportunity at workplace, hence, making the Indian army no exception to this wave of equality. The relevant question being that does the military need to change with the changing times? (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Changing role of women in the Indian armed forces

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Rahesha Sehgal

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