Army adopts use-&-throw policy with women: Woman officer to SC

NEW DELHI: The Army suffers from acute gender bias to deny permanent commission to women officers who work shoulder to shoulder with male officers to assist and support troops in combat zones, Major Seema Singh has told the Supreme Court.

“The policies for women in Army not only discriminate her against male officers but also lower her status to that of a jawan/junior commissioned officer, whom she has been leading for 14 years,” she said.

“They work for the Army for 14 years, which is neither pensionable nor gives her any retirement benefits. She is simply thrown out after 14 years and that too not on the basis of poor performance but due to her gender. The Army is using the policy of use and throw while dealing with its trained women officers ,” she said.

She added that even unfit gentlemen officers are absorbed in services in which their women counterparts endure identical job hazards and get thrown out after 14 years. Singh further said the Army’s argument that it could not risk women in combat positions stood on thin ice. She said men and women working in support arms are much behind the combat lines and have no danger of coming in contact with the enemy.

“Women officers and gentlemen officers commissioned into these services are performing similar jobs, undergoing similar professional courses and are being posted to all field and peace postings. There is no separate charter of duties for women officers or short service commissioned male officers and permanent commissioned male officers,” she said.

“The strength of women officers posted in services in combat zone is 30% whereas short service commissioned gentlemen officers comprise 29% and permanent commissioned gentlemen officers have 23% presence,” Major Singh said while requesting the court to dismiss the Centre’s challenge to a Delhi HC judgment ordering permanent commission for women.

She said it was ridiculous that the government pleaded before the court that it was alright for a women officer to serve for 14 years in combat zones, but thereafter they become a risk.

She gave the examples of women officers commanding Army supply convoys single-handedly through militancy-afflicted areas of J&K and winning laurels abroad during UN peacekeeping operations in conflict-torn nations.