Society Will Be Ready: Inducting women in the infantry is an inevitability
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Army Day, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi touched on the subject of women in the infantry, a role denied to them even though the defence forces have considerably opened up elsewhere on this front. He said that the Army was ready to do it if society agreed. This gives the impression that the Army itself is not hesitant, but that is where the stumbling block lies.
In any case, how would anyone know what society is ready to accept without conducting a referendum? And why would society not be ready when it has been ready to accept women in almost every other field? You didn’t have women in the police once but now they are a common presence in every station.
It is understandable that an institution so wedded to tradition should be unsettled by the influx of an entire gender but the question to ask is what will the Army look like, say, 20 years down the line? You can bet that there will not only be women in the infantry, but high performers and leaders among them. That is just how reform shapes up when large numbers of a group are included in an area barred to them, whether it was caste or race in earlier ages in different countries.
An army which has made use of its women’s capabilities is Israel. They inducted women because they had to—numbers were needed considering their situation of being surrounded by hostile countries. It has not made any dent to the reputation of their army’s efficiency, and society benefits when everyone participates in everything.
2026 Forecast
09 Jan 2026 - Vol 04 | Issue 53
What to read and watch this year
Women in the infantry are an inevitability, the only question is how long can it be postponed citing reasons like societal readiness? There is no one voice to society, and often doing the right thing comes first for it to realise the necessity for change. You don’t need to worry about maintaining standards, the other apprehension about inducting women. Find the willingness to open the door and there will be enough women proving they deserve their entry.