It is clear from last few years that more and more women are interested towards Indian Air Force than Army and Navy, as per the recent data it is published that the IAF has more number of women officers than Indian army and navy. The Indian Air Force reportedly has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09% among all the three major forces in the country. While women representation in the Indian Navy stood at 6%, the Indian Army records the lowest women representation at just 4%. The trend has been similar over the past few years, and as of 2017, there were 13% women officers in Indian Air Force, 5% in the Indian Navy and nearly 3.65% in the army. It appears that the Indian Air Force has soared ahead of the country’s other defence forces — at least when it comes to employing more women officers. The Air Force has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09%; the Indian Navy, in comparison, accounts for 6% women officers; and the Indian Army has only 3.8% representation of women, reported Press Trust of India citing Subhash Bhamre, the Indian minister of state for defence.
It also appears the trend has improved only slightly compared to previous years: there were 13% women officers in the Indian Air Force as of July 2017, while the share of female officers in the Indian Navy was 4.49% as of June 2017. The Indian Army had the lowest number of women officers at only 3.64% women as of January 2017, according to data released by India’s Ministry of Defence. Interestingly, commercial airlines in India also have the highest percentage of female commercial pilots compared to other countries, according to data by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.
Currently, Indian airlines have 1,092 female pilots as against 8,797 male pilots, reported the Times of India. In India, women representing the army, navy and the air force are appointed only for the officer’s rank. The country’s defence ministry is reportedly planning to induct more women as sailors in the Indian Navy, to boost women participation in the non-office cadres, reported India Today.
