Equal opportunities would mean equal responsibilities, says Army Commander

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“For example, in Jammu and Kashmir or North East, small teams of five or six have to be in the jungles for days. Teams have to live in tents or at times shelters made from basic things like bamboo. Now, whether women are ready to operate in these conditions or not, is a call that women themselves will have to take. I am a strong believer of one thing: equal opportunity means equal responsibility. If I am in the field with a team of five-six people and a decision is taken to set up tents, and if the woman team member says she wants a second tent, it could be difficult in that time-frame since they have prepare for the next move too. But at the same time, I would like to add that our women in the forces are very bold and have always risen up to the challenge,” he said.

Speaking about his experience in the UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo, Lt Gen Rawat said, “I have served in the United Nations where I had an African contingent whose infantry battalion had 30 per cent women. We used to see that at a sentry post in the night, there used to a man and a woman standing side by side. They have adapted to these situations. Are our women ready to take these challenges is the question that women themselves will have come up with an answer.”

Asked whether he has come across instances where women have asked for concessions on the basis of gender, the general said, “Women have not asked for any concessions, but the point is that we have not yet put them into such conditions.”