Women’s representation in the armed forces has increased by leaps and bounds, and it is reflected in the many changes the army, air force and navy as well as the police service and other paramilitary organisations have undergone. There has been a paradigm shift in the forces, a male-dominated profession for long, but the women are now leading from the front — be it in commanding positions or flying fighter jets.
Surgeon Vice Admiral (Lieutenant General) Punita Arora, the first woman in the army to hold a three-star rank; IPS officer Sonal Mishra; Col Sophia Qureshi; Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy; and special forces trainer Dr Seema Rao, who were part of the Raksha Shakti panel at Network18’s Rising India-She Shakti conclave said in unison that in today’s day and age, women in uniform should not hold themselves back.
One of the originals, who has served in both the navy and army, Surgeon Vice Admiral (Lieutenant General) Punita Arora has many firsts to her name. She was commissioned in 1968, and is the first woman in the army to be promoted to a three-star rank. For her, there were challenges not only within the organisation but also within her peer group, which was mostly men.
“I was among the first to be commissioned as permanent, but the organisation back then was not used to having woman officers in the permanent service. My own colleagues, both junior and senior, and the organisation itself was a massive challenge that I had to overcome every time I was posted in a new place in three-year intervals. The armed forces was male-centric and had only seen ladies in their homes as wives and mothers. The men had never seen a woman sitting with them in office, so juniors thought she is not going to work and make excuses. Seniors thought the same and, when it comes to organisation, all the rules and regulations were meant for men,” she said.
Surgeon Vice Admiral Arora, however, said despite all the challenges, she and many others alongside her have paved the way for others to live their dream. “When you’re first in line, you must perform well. You’ll open the floodgates for others and there is no room for failure,” she added.
For 2000-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Sonal Mishra, the journey has been more than rewarding. She said times had changed for women in the forces and were improving. “What is critical is the number of women in the forces. Things will automatically change once it starts increasing. When we look at senior women, it’s inspiring for us and the whole role model thing helps a lot. It also helps to have the right and firm attitude, and everyone falls in line then,” said Mishra, who has been posted in volatile areas like Chhattisgarh and the northeast.
She added: “What I would like to tell all women is that don’t hold yourselves back. If we are doing that, then it’s our problem even if the organisation is accepting us with open arms. Women at right decision making levels can be catalyst for change and whoever is entering at whichever level should not hold back.”
Col Sophia Qureshi, the first woman officer to lead an army contingent at a multinational military exercise, is all praise for the army. A serving officer of the Signals corps, she said: “The Indian Army is the best organisation and gives you all the opportunity to give your best shot through good mentoring,” she said.
Elaborating on her experience of being the first Indian woman to march on foreign land, Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy said giving the salute to the prime minister of India at the Champs Elyees in Paris tops the list of her achievements so far. The helicopter pilot led the Indian contingent at the Bastille Day Parade a few months ago and has been an air force officer for over a decade.
“I almost had a nervous breakdown, didn’t realise I was the first Indian woman marching on foreign land. But my training and preparation for a month or so, put me in a place that I could do this. I had the support of my contingent and, if you have that, then nothing is unbeatable,” she said.
On flying, she said it always her dream to fly and what better way than to don the uniform and serve the nation. “I chose to be a helicopter pilot. It is the highlight moment of my career when I fly out to my troops with logistical support. Those are the moments I live for, like rescue missions when people come and thank me. It feels great,” she added.
For India’s first female special forces trainer and expert in close combat training, Dr Seema Rao, it was destiny and a patriot’s blood running through her veins. “Destiny had something different for me. I started as a doctor and destiny took me to train commandoes; it has been 25 years of glory and strife. I have had to work on my physical condition as I had to teach these highly trained men, but I took it in my stride and honed my skills. When I got their respect, it was deeply satisfying as this was selfless service for the country. Patriotic blood runs in my veins, as my father was a freedom fighter,” she said.
In conclusion, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arora said she would like to say only one thing to women and their parents. “The armed forces is a wonderful organisation and gives so much respect to women. I always say that if I were to repeat my life, I would still join the armed forces. But we should remember our responsibilities towards the organisation as well. We have to change and get used to that life, and the organisation will look after you,” she added.
The session ended with a live demonstration of close combat skills by Dr Seema Rao.
Rising India-She Shakti is a unique initiative aimed to honour the accomplishments of women and will be driven by women as well. The conclave will serve as a platform to showcase their achievements, share stories, and inspire a new generation of leaders.
As underlined by the prime minister, India has now entered a women-led development phase. The advancement towards becoming a developed nation is closely linked to the active participation of Indian women.
This conclave seeks to amplify the recognition of women who not only broke the glass ceiling but also broke gender stereotypes and inspired ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance).
President Droupadi Murmu is the chief guest of the evening. Influential personalities such as WCD minister Smriti Irani, actor Shraddha Kapoor, legendary singer Asha Bhosle, playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan, among others are also a part of the event.
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