Need to change mindset to give women officers their rightful due: Gen Malik

Former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen VP Malik, today called for a change in the mindset across all hierarchal levels to deal with in-service issues concerning the role and employment of women officers and ensuring their rightful due.

Speaking at the launch of a book, “In Her Defence”, authored by high court lawyer Maj Navdeep Singh and public policy specialist Shivani Dasmahapatra, he said a lot of ground still needs to be covered to bring parity between men and women officers. He said women officers were used as “showpieces” for long and were not groomed for taking up command assignments, where they had now been placed.

Stating that women officers were highly capable, Lt Gen KJS Dhillion (retd), who has served as the General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, cited various examples and anecdotes where women in the armed forces had performed commendably.

Terming the book as “a cornerstone and embodiment of the judiciary’s unwavering dedication to upholding the principles of equality and justice”, the authors said it is an anthology of essays and commentaries in layperson terms contributed by jurists, judges and academics on landmark constitutional court decisions of India that made a difference and brought about a positive change for women in the forces.

The foreword of the book, which lists out 10 important court judgments concerning women officers, is written by Major Priya Jhingan, the first woman to join the Indian Army.