Rakesh wrote:To All: Stop with misogyny please. Women have earned their place in the Armed Forces. No more on this on the forum.
Why are you attributing misogyny to stifle a debate on an important topic? Women in armed forces is a much more complex issue that simply a case of equality before the law when it comes to employment.
Even in western countries where women have a higher % representation in their armed forces, this is not a settled question. There is enough debate around it. Regrettably, even there you'll come across many instances of stifling the debate and discrediting genuine questions with labels like misogyny.
Armed forces are a means to an end. And not a laboratory of equal employment or gender rights.
If the job in military is gender neutral in today's environment, why is there is a difference in physical standards right at the entrance stage of officer selection?
And what about the physical standards and tests at OTA, Chennai?
At the academy, there is a marked difference in the physical standard requirements of men and women. For instance, while men need to complete a 2.4km-run in 10 minutes, women get 15 minutes. In the battle physical efficiency test, ‘excellent timing’ for men is 24 minutes and 40 seconds while for women it is 31 minutes and 30 seconds. “To clear the physical fitness test, women cadets get multiple chances, including mercy attempts. And the instructors are more lenient with women cadets,” said an officer involved in training.
Source:
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/current/ ... euvre.html
- Further, if it is gender neutral, how come NO lady officer from ASC or AOC has ever served the compulsory 2-year attachment with an infantry battalion post graduation from the academy? Mind you, 99.9% of this attachment happens in field areas.
- Has any women officer from various Corps ever served an attachment with RR in the Valley? Many officers from ASC and AOC have lost lives and earned gallantry awards while fighting in CI Ops with RR - Ever heard a lady officer in this role?
- When it comes to field postings, if we scale field locations from 1-5 with 5 being toughest, who do you think gets posted to locations 3,4,5 on the difficulty scale?
- Post maternity, how many women officers are able or willing to actively participate in BPET, field exercises, temporary duties, or other demanding roles? Please talk to people who've served in battalions with lady officers.
- What about non-availability of women officers during and post pregnancy?
In the USAF, a lady pilot cannot fly for a full 01-year covering the period from pregnancy to post-partum period. Can you have 100% female fighter pilots in the squadron? What impact will it have on the availability of pilots and operational efficiency of the squadron and the air force?
- A lady officer from the JAG Branch of the Indian Army filed a case against the Army when it wanted to send it on Temporary Duty because it claimed the said location did not have creche to look after her child!
Now, irrespective of the above, the job has to be done. So who do you think gets deputed?
First, serving in the military in NOT gender neutral. Pregnancy has operational repercussions. Both during and post pregnancy.
Second, if you really think men and women officers are same, then remove the 'Lady' part and retain just the officer bit, as is the norm for male counterparts.
Secondly, subject them to the same treatment. But this is easier said than done. The moment you send a lady officer away from established bases, you'll need to create infra to accommodate her. Which at the minimum calls for separate accommodation and toilet.
Imagine sending a lady officer on a Long Range Patrol for 15-days at the head of 30-men platoon across eastern Ladakh or NE wilderness?
Feel free to temper and tone of the language but don't all WOKE going about it.