Three media headlines last week succinctly captured the gender-equity issue. They also reveal odds and hurdles that half of the country’s population is facing in their march towards realising their full potential to be able to contribute to nation building.
For different reasons media portrayed or rather projected India into two contrasting images that showed women being pushed and pulled by opposing socio-political forces.
First related to the Supreme Court’s decisive blow to male dominance in the Indian military establishment saying women officers in the Army can get command positions at par with male officers, asserting that the government's arguments against it were "discriminatory", "disturbing", and based on stereotype. The court also said permanent commission would be available to all women, regardless of their years of service.
Second one, was an observation of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat who on 16 February in Ahmedabad said that cases of divorce are found more in “educated and affluent” families as education and affluence brings arrogance along which results in families falling apart.
Third was about a sermon delivered by Swami Krishnaswarup Dasji of Swaminarayan temple in Bhuj in Gujarat who pronounced: “Menstruating women who cook food for their husbands will take birth as female dogs in their next life while men consuming food by women having periods will reborn as oxen, as per religious texts.” It must be underlined here that these types of Swami’s are countless in the country in every religion and in every sect.
While on the one hand, the apex court creates opportunities for women who naturally needs education to climb up the progression ladder, Bhagwat, who heads an outfit that acts as the mentor and ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP and its leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, portrays education for women in a negative light. It is no hidden secret that education creates pathways for attainment of affluence in a major way. The Swami from Bhuj, whose sect wields some influence, ordains Indian women to stick to inhuman and degrading traditions.
It needs to be recalled that the central government had told the apex court earlier this month that women are not suited for commanding roles in the Indian Army as male troops are not prepared to accept women officers. The Centre had further said that male and female officers could not be treated equally when it came to postings because of their different physical standards, apart from greater family demands, the perils of women being taken as prisoners of war and reservations exposing women officers to combat situations. “The composition of rank and file being male, and predominantly drawn from rural background, with prevailing societal norms, the troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command,” the Centre, being represented by senior advocate R Balasubramanian and lawyer Neela Gokhale, had said in an argument note.
Simply described, a woman can rise to the rank of Colonel and above based on merit, like their male counterparts. At the rank of Colonel, an officer picks up a substantive command and would be delegated to carry out independent tasks. A Colonel commands a battalion, which typically consists of 850 men. A woman officer who is successful in this position could technically rise to the highest ranks of the Army though, at the moment, women officers will not be inducted into the combat arms such as the Infantry, Artillery or Armored corps.
The Supreme Court said even women who have served for more than 14 years in the Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Army can have the option of permanent commission. The court commented that there was a "fundamental fallacy" in the Centre's policy of considering only women with less than 14 years of experience for permanent commission. The court said the Army could not discriminate between men and women, striking down blatant gender bias propagated for years.
"To cast aspersions on gender is an affront to their dignity and to the country. Time has come that women officers are not adjunct to their male counterparts," said the court. The apex court also rejected the Centre's arguments of physiological limitations and "social norms" for denying permanent commission to women officers, calling it disturbing. "Physiological features of women have no link to their rights. The mindset must change," said Justices DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi in their ruling.
"Women work shoulder to shoulder with men. The Centre's submission is based on gender discrimination and stereotype. Women Army officers brought laurels to the county," the Supreme Court said, referring to women officers who it said had done the country proud.
The Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have also granted permanent commission to women officers even as both have opened up some combat roles for women. The Air force allows women as officers in flying and ground duties. Women IAF Short Service Commission (SSC) officers fly helicopter, transport aircraft and now even fighter jets. In the navy, women officers inducted through SSC are allowed in logistics, law, observers, air traffic control, maritime reconnaissance pilots and Naval Armament Inspectorate Cadre.
Supreme Court’s verdict, Bhagwat’s observation or Swami Krishnaswarup’s sermon, though coming close in succession, underline the contrasting forces under which Indian society and polity are functioning. One deriving strength from the Constitution and the other from traditions, conventions and religious beliefs are pitched against each other in pushing India to march with the changing times and the other trying to pull back or stop moving ahead. But, despite this tug of war between both the segments of society one thing that is making the difference is the constant growth and participation of Indian women into various sectors of public life be it professional or social. And, hindrances may be many but the road ahead is ready for a change and there is no looking back to it.
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Satish Misra was Senior Fellow at ORF. He has been a journalist for many years. He has a PhD in International Affairs from Humboldt University ...
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