Many parents are reluctant to send their children to join the Army owing to a lack of awareness on the wide spectrum of the Armed Forces, said women officers here on Saturday.
Lieutenant Colonel Ankita Srivastava (retd.), Captain Sajita Nair (retd.), and Major Rama Sharma spoke on their entry and service in the Army under a session titled ‘creativity, womanhood and uniform’ on the second day of the sixth edition of Mangaluru Literature Festival. The three-day festival has been organised by the Bharat Foundation.
Captain Nair (retd.) said that there is a need to create more awareness among parents to allow their children to join the Armed Forces. “Take life as it comes. Be happy,” she said.
Lieutenant Colonel Srivastava (retd.) said: “The Army is a way of life. Not a profession.”
The women said that when the Army recruited women three decades ago, men in uniform found it difficult to accept women as their boss.
“Even a tailor refused to stitch my uniform because he could not think of a woman becoming an Army officer,” said Lieutenant Colonel Srivastava (retd.), who is also the author of Olive Green to Beauty Queen’
Major Sharma and Captain Nair (retd.) said that down the years men in uniform have begun accepting women bosses and parents are also getting to know about the Armed Forces.
“The scenario is changing after 31 years. Things are much better now,” said Lieutenant Colonel Srivastava (retd.).
