Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Thursday observed that the distinction between the role of men and women in warfighting is blurring.
CDS Rawat's remarks came during his welcome address at a webinar organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on 'Role of Women in the Armed Forces' today.
"Today, distinction between the role of men and women in warfighting is blurring. Women have proved their mettle in combat roles such as fighter pilots, paratroopers, submarines. They will continue to do so in future, too," stated CDS Rawat.
"Women today are serving the armed forces across the world. Women soldiers' training in the Indian Army has been hard and it has helped them in good strength to perform their tasks in various terrains," he added.
The international webinar was hosted by the Ministry of Defence in video conference mode and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered the inaugural address at the webinar.
The conference was originally planned with the physical presence of the representatives of the member states in the year 2020, however, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was conducted via video conferencing, as despite the pandemic, the interaction between the SCO member states remains important.
The Government of India has recognised women as proud and essential members of the Indian Defence forces and the potential they bring to the Armed Forces. Accordingly, in the last seven years, the Government has taken several steps to bring in more opportunities for women in the Indian Defence forces as well as create equality in service conditions for women and men. Today, women are greatly empowered within the Indian Defence Forces, whether it is the Indian Army, Indian Navy or the Indian Air Force.
( With inputs from ANI )
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