A safe place for women: Military needs greater gender sensitisation

The military's growing number of women officers highlights the need for gender sensitisation. Recent harassment cases show systemic flaws that must be addressed for true gender equality

Accusations of rape and sexual harassment by a wing commander posted at the Indian Air Force Station, Srinagar, underscore the urgent need for greater gender sensitisation in the security and armed forces, which have started admitting women in larger numbers. The Air Force admits women in combat roles, so the issue of integration is not merely a social necessity but a security imperative as well. The fact that the victim had to approach the Jammu and Kashmir Police for redress points to the multiple organisational deficiencies that led to this outcome. The victim’s complaint reportedly showed that