On International Women’s Day, the Indian Navy said it has deployed four women officers onboard its warships after over three decades. Four Indian Navy women officers have been deployed on warships in recent times. Two of them are posted on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya while two are deployed onboard the Indian naval tanker ship INS Shakti.
The last time women officers were posted on warships was in 1998. The decision was, however, reviewed after issues came up during the brief posting. Women officers deployed onboard the tanker vessel INS Shakti include a doctor who said the Indian Navy has given her an opportunity to serve both as a doctor and onboard warship. “We work shoulder to shoulder with our male counterparts,” the officer said. Indian Navy announced that it started building separate cabins and toilets for women officers a few years ago on its warships to prepare the vessels for lady officers. The Indian Navy on Monday said the force has also started posting women officers on foreign postings as defence attaches. Lieutenant Commander Karabi Gogoi is the first lady officer to be posted as DA.
Lady officers started getting on the maritime force’s vessels for the first time in 1998. However, the decision was reversed soon due to certain logistical and other issues. Indian Navy had started building separate cabins and toilets for women officers a few years ago on its warships to prepare the vessels for lady officers. The force also recently deployed a lady officer as the first women defence attache posted abroad.
