The induction of women at the NDA marks progress, but true equality in India’s military demands leadership, not tokenism.
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On 30 May 2025, 17 women cadets joined the Passing Out Parade at the National Defence Academy (NDA). The event, a decisively historic moment in India's military history, signified a shift in the male-dominated structure of the Indian Armed Forces. The development followed a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, which directed the NDA to implement gender-neutral admissions. It also emphasised the need for equal opportunities for women in military training, paving the way for systemic changes within the institution.
Women have historically been excluded from Permanent Commission (PC) and frontline combat roles, and were largely restricted to administrative or support responsibilities. The successful training of these 17 cadets reflects more than an individual accomplishment. It brings to the fore the renewed demands confronting India’s military, inching it closer to modernisation and diversity. The development presents an opportunity to build a more inclusive and balanced defence structure, encouraging the creation of a military that represents the broader society it serves.
The event, a decisively historic moment in India's military history, signified a shift in the male-dominated structure of the Indian Armed Forces.
Against this backdrop, the rising involvement of women in strategic operations reflects a shift in military leadership roles. A key example is the debriefing of ‘Operation Sindoor’ by two senior women officers - Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Their leadership illustrates the expanding responsibilities of women in critical military planning. Yet, this progress remains limited in terms of overall representation. Women currently hold fewer than 7 percent of officer positions in the armed forces. Their presence in active combat remains minimal and largely symbolic. Most continue to serve in medical and administrative areas.
Although symbolic achievements do hold value, real inclusion demands structural transformation. This involves widening access to combat roles for women and advancing them to senior leadership posts. It also requires addressing deep-rooted institutional attitudes that block gender integration. Military politics often rely on a narrow, state-centred view of security. This perspective hides the gendered patterns shaping global defence practices. Traditional military structures tend to maintain and repeat patriarchal systems. Women, while essential to military and diplomatic functions, remain sidelined in policy narratives. Their efforts are significant but rarely recognised in dominant military discussions.
Traditionally, diplomacy has regarded women largely as the spouses of ambassadors and senior officials, rather than as diplomats in their own right. While they have contributed extensively to soft power and cultural engagement in informal ways, this narrow view risks lending a diminished lens to women’s roles as professional diplomats. Today, Indian women hold positions as ambassadors, senior officials, and lead negotiators in global arenas. Their roles are central to directing and shaping India’s foreign policy. Focusing only on spousal contributions reinforces outdated gender roles and diminishes professional success. A more accurate understanding must highlight women’s leadership in diplomacy. Their growing presence reflects bigger structural changes in international governance.
The belief that states or militaries protect women is misleading. In reality, militarisation tends to increase women's exposure to harm.
Military bases in developing countries often reveal troubling links between gender and occupation. These sites can become areas of exploitation, where local women are pushed into sex work due to poverty and lack of support. The presence of foreign troops often brings disruption rather than protection. Communities face long-term consequences such as abandoned children and rising gender-based violence. These impacts reflect deep social harm linked to militarisation.
The military often views war and peace through the lens of power and control, neglecting human rights and gender-based vulnerabilities. It fails to acknowledge that women face challenges amid conflicts in unique and unequal ways. For instance, sexual violence during war was seldom a random act. It was, in fact, used as a tactic during the Bosnian War, where around 35,000 women were raped and forced into pregnancies as part of ethnic cleansing. Violent actions of such nature are systematic and deliberate, and often result in deep trauma, weaken community bonds, and perpetuate political control. The belief that states or militaries protect women is misleading. In reality, militarisation tends to increase women's exposure to harm. The rhetoric of protection is commonly used to justify actions that reinforce gendered violence and structural abuse.
A major weakness in military governance is the lack of women in leadership roles. Their strategic absence from policymaking creates systems that overlook gender-specific concerns. Without their voices at negotiation tables, key aspects of peace and justice are left unaddressed. This exclusion limits the development of balanced and inclusive security strategies. India's influence in global diplomacy, peacekeeping and world politics is steadily growing. However, its engagement with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda remains limited. This global framework promotes women's active roles in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. India has deployed female peacekeepers to United Nations missions. Yet, it has not adopted a National Action Plan to apply WPS principles nationally. This gap signals a reluctance to embed gender-focused policies into domestic security planning.
Stronger engagement with the WPS agenda could reshape women's roles in the Indian military. This shift would extend beyond numbers to leadership and decision-making power. Aligning domestic defence policies with global commitments would enhance India’s credibility on gender equality. It would also show consistency between its international stance and internal security practices.
True alignment with India’s peacebuilding rhetoric requires a shift from tokenism to transformational participation, where women are empowered to shape policy and contribute strategically.
India has traditionally projected itself as a strong advocate of peacebuilding at the United Nations (UN), particularly during its tenure on the Security Council. However, this global position is not matched by its internal defence and security strategies. Although more women have joined the armed forces, the progress is largely symbolic. The focus remains on access and presence, not on leadership or meaningful authority. True alignment with India’s peacebuilding rhetoric requires a shift from tokenism to transformational participation, where women are empowered to shape policy and contribute strategically. Elevating women to command positions would reflect a deeper commitment to the principles India advocates globally. Bridging this domestic-international gap is not only a matter of credibility but a necessary step toward building a more equitable and resilient security architecture.
To achieve this, redefining security to focus on human well-being is essential. This includes safeguarding dignity and protection from all forms of violence. Peace must go beyond the mere absence of war to encompass fairness, inclusion, and justice. Expanding women’s participation in the military and diplomacy can foster cooperation over conflict, helping to reduce the scale and severity of future violence.
Around the world, defence policies are being reconsidered through new perspectives. One influential model is Feminist Foreign Policy, introduced by Sweden’s former Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström. This framework shifts the focus from protecting borders to protecting people. It redefines security by including dignity, safety, and human rights. From a military angle, it questions traditional views of war and defence. It calls for recognising women not as victims but as active contributors to peace and strategy. The approach supports the idea that diverse and inclusive armed forces are not only fairer but also more capable and effective in practice.
A key gap in defence planning is the absence of a strong female perspective in leadership roles. Despite some progress, women are underrepresented in strategic decision-making bodies. The graduation of the first 17 women from the NDA is a significant step. It signals more than symbolic progress and may help shift military culture over time. Their presence challenges rigid masculine norms and promotes alternative strategies focused on dialogue and restraint. While women alone cannot prevent conflict, their broader participation encourages a more balanced and humane approach to national defence and security.
Kalpesh Patkar is an Assistant Professor & Faculty of Political Science at the School of Law, Christ (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus.
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Kalpesh Patkar is an Assistant Professor & Faculty of Political Science at the School of Law, Christ (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus. He ...
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