BENGALURU: India is arguably one of those nations where women empowerment is in its full swing. Yet the fact that it has a long and complicated journey ahead towards achieving the feat in totality is as obvious. As B.R Amberkar said, “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved”. Indians can pride on the gains women have achieved in the society over the years. Employment statistics reveal a steadily increasing women workforce. However, Arundhati Ramanathan points, through a post in Livemint.com a few key positions that Indian women are yet to embrace. Here is our take on the matter with some tweaks.

Chief of Armed Forces 

Their policies regarding recruiting women has changed over the years, yet the percentage of women serving the armed forces is extremely small. Arundhati asks, “While a woman-contingent marching at the Republic Day parade is a sign of the strides women are making, will the Army ever be an equal place for women?”

Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

According to a Quartz report, women count for 20 percent of ISRO’s total workforce of 14,246. Since being set up in 1963, ISRO has had nine chairmen. Women have not landed on the moon, nor have they landed the top job at ISRO yet. Looks like Indian women have to go all the way to America’s NASA to be an astronaut. For the record, 36 percent of the scientists at NASA now are Indians and as NYMag.com points; the role of top NASA official has never been occupied by a woman either.

Directors of India’s premier educational trio of institutions

IITs, IIMs and the IISC – the prestigious institutions are yet to witness the dawn under a woman’s leadership. Pretty anti-ironic given ‘Goddess’ Saraswathi harbors the fountain of education according to Hindu mythology. According to a 2013 report by education Aspiring Minds reveals that the number of women in the IITs across India ranges 7-10%. At the IIMs, the numbers are better as women count for 20 to 40 percent of the class.

Catholic Priestess

No country has had a woman Catholic Priestess, yet. “Jesus did not ordain any women. He selected all of his apostles, and none were women.” mentions Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC). On the other hand, we have the ground breaking ‘fictional’ claims of Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code. Pope Francis has already occupied countless hearts with his intents and reforms thus increasing the hopes for the possibility of the first ever Women Catholic Priestess. The feminists and feminazis are apparently at the edge of their seats.

Governor of the Reserve bank of India

All of the 23 governors of the RBI have been men. Its present governor Raghuram Rajan wrote to his employees: “The imagery that comes to mind for critics is of a traditional unimaginative organization rather than a dynamic intelligent one,” and we back Arundathi’s take on the matter - not having had a woman governor, is suggestive of that traditional mindset. 

CBI, IB and RAW

In his book titled The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane, B.Raman, who held R&AW’s  counter terrorism unit, mentions ,“ Till 1972, the Indian intelligence community had some women serving in administrative posts such as stenographers and ministerial assistants, but no officers serving as either analysts or operatives.” An old joke stirs, “Fastest means of message transfer? Tell a woman, make it faster by telling’ ‘don’t tell anyone’”. Why can’t women hold secrets other than their own? Can’t they at least do it for the sake of a profession in a secret service agency? We mean no disrespect. Pretty ironically, no women have ever headed the FBI, CIA or the NSA but they do employ plenty of women.

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