First Woman Officer Posted At World's Highest Battlefield Aspires To See More Women Officers In Army

Ahead of International Women's Day, Captain Shiva Chauhan, the first women officer to be posted at the world's highest battlefield in Siachen, has a message for women and girls of the country. Captain Shiva had become the first woman officer to be operationally deployed in Kumar Post after completing arduous training. Her induction opened new doors for women in the Indian Army, and she has been considered the trailblazer for women to take up such challenging opportunities.

Breaking Past Glass Ceilings

On March 6, ahead of the Women's Day Celebrations, Captain Shiva had her bit of advice for women of the country. The Fire and Fury Sappers member shared her journey so far at the highest battlefield and said she hoped to inspire women officers to join the Army. "It is really a great experience and a great opportunity to be here first at Siachen. Moreover, I feel that from now onwards, more women officers will be coming here serving this terrain and maybe might get inspired to join the Indian Army."

She stated that ever since being inducted at the Siachen glaciers, her life has been full of excitement, anxiety of the unknown, and newer possibilities. Above all, she got to associate with the core deployed in the terrain, which made it a great experience for her. Shiva, who was commissioned into the Army in May 2021, joined the Siachen team after completing a month's training at the Siachen Battle School. The Rajasthan native is a civil engineering graduate from the NJR Institute of Technology, Udaipur.

"A Way Of Life, Not Just A Job"

In line with International Women's Day, the Indian Army posted a video where Captain Shiva was seen taking part in activities like rock climbing and cycling in the extremely low temperatures of Siachen. Her passion and dedication toward the duty were visible through the video, and it was sure to serve as an inspiration for many women and girls. Captain Shiva took the opportunity to highlight that nowadays, there are vast opportunities offered to women officers in all spheres of the job. There is a level-playing field being set for all officers, where women are employed equally at par with their male counterparts.

A report by NDTV cited Captain Shiva saying, "I would like to tell them (women) that they have to be physically and mentally robust and should be mentally prepared that they can be sent to such (Siachen) type of terrains." She further added that women officers in the army line would have to move from place to place as that's what the job demands. Calling it a way of life and "not just a job," she hoped to see more women stepping into the defence roles.

Also Read: Breaking Ceilings! Meet Capt Shiva, Country's First Woman Officer Deployed In Highest Battlefield Siachen