Indian armed forces to recruit women for all combat roles: president

[Lodestar]

Source: Reuters

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - India will allow women to take up combat roles in all sections of its army, navy and air force, President Pranab Mukherjee said, signaling a radical move towards gender parity in one of the world's most male-dominated professions.

Most countries employ women in various roles in their armed forces but only a handful, including Australia, Germany, Israel and the United States, have allowed them to take on fighting, or combat, roles.

India, which has one of the largest armies in the world, has resisted such a move, citing concern over women's vulnerability if captured and over their physical and mental ability to cope with the stress of frontline deployments.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-women-military-idUSKCN0VX1SR

[OregonBlue]

1. Given women's status in India, I'm afraid they will just become cannn fodder. But at least more of

them will get trained to fight back.

[iandhr]

2. Maybe this will improve the status of women in India.

Progress throughout history as always been made on tiny step forward at a time.

[mtasselin]

4. get ready

Get ready sounds like India is getting ready for a war with someone.

[vinny9698]

5. Don't forget about the Soviets during WW2 they had women in all combat roles

&list=PLwGzY25TNHPCp3TFPpD69-FxUc6VrpPwy

In the opening titles, you can see actual WW2 footage of these women flying WW1 planes at night to attack the Nazis.
Some looked very attractive, not your typical Soviet women stereotype.

On 8th October 1941, Stalin issued a secret order forming a female aviation unit. Known later as the 46th “Taman” Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, a unit like this had never existed before.

Their operational record began at the Salsk Steppes and the Don battles and ended in Nazi Germany. Flying PO-2 night bombers or ‘mules’, these brave female pilots flew harassment bombing and precision bombing missions, which successfully destroyed the enemy’s river crossings, fortifications, machinery and manpower. The regiment flew over 23,000 sorties and is said to have dropped 3,000 tons of bombs. The most highly decorated female unit in the Soviet Air Force, each pilot had flown over 1000 missions by the end of the war with twenty-three pilots awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union. Fighting with equal bravery and skill as their male counterparts earned them the name ‘Night Swallows’ by the Germans.