In a first, SSB border outposts get women-friendly

As part of the initiative to ensure better working conditions for the female staffers, the paramilitary force has also ordered procurement of suitable and body-fit size protectors, bullet-proof vests, helmets, shoes and raincoats for women troops on combat duties. 

The SSB, guarding the Indo-Nepal and the Indo-Bhutan borders on the country’s east, has also modified toilets in the border areas to ensure privacy for women, who often work odd hours due to the nature of their duties. “We have created some separate living blocks for women troopers in the barracks at their place of posting in the border areas,” Archana Ramasundaram, Director General, SSB said. 

The paramilitary force has been working on the idea for about a year, said the DG, adding the gender-friendly infrastructure is now getting in place for the first time. “At all the locations where women are posted or deployed, sanitary napkin dispensers and incinerators have been installed,” she said. This is for the first time a paramilitary force has created such separate facilities for its women personnel deployed in the far-flung frontier areas.

On International Women’s Day, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel announced to constitute a high-level committee for resolving the grievances and complaints of women sports persons. Aviation Secretary R N Chaubey announced single window clearance and priority to women entrepreneurs in airline services. 

The sports committee will comprise of athletes, advocate and senior officer of MYAS and sports journalist (all women), Goel said. Speaking in a conference on ‘Women and Sports in India,’ Goel said his ministry provides equal assistance and incentives to both male and female athletes and there is no gender discrimination for training etc. The Aviation secretary said women are not confined to be a pilot or to be a cabin crew member, but they are managing the entire operation in the aviation industry. They are in Management, technology, service and logistics of the industry. There are ample opportunities for them in the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). Chaubey said, “If women want to start their ventures in the Aviation Sector, the Ministry will not only welcome them, but will provide the facilities on priority. Their cases will be cleared through a Single Window Clearance System.” 

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched a helpline number 181 for women in distress in Odisha on Wednesday. Patnaik launched the toll free helpline which will be available 24×7 in all the 30 districts of the state. 

Women are now major achievers in India’s space technology advancement and this is amply evident in ISRO, the space agency Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said. He said that though ISRO started late, it’s achievements in a short span had attracted global attention and women technocrats had the say in the agency.