Beyond Representation: Rethinking Equity, Merit And Design In Uniformed Institutions - Gitanjli Singh
· Free Press Journal
The conversation on women in uniformed services often oscillates between two extremes—celebration and scepticism. On one hand, visible milestones are rightly applauded: firsts are achieved, doors are opened, and possibilities expand. On the other, persistent questions linger about continuity, progression, and long-term leadership representation. Between these narratives lies a quieter, less examined reality: the gender paradox is not rooted in capability, but in institutional design.
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Operational environments are, by nature, meritocratic. Machines respond only to skill. Missions demand competence, not conformity. In these spaces, gender dissolves quickly under the weight of responsibility. Many women officers, myself included, have experienced this neutrality firsthand—earning trust through performance, leading teams defined by professionalism, and operating in ecosystems where standards are non-negotiable.
Yet, as careers advance, the lens through which performance is evaluated subtly shifts. Judgement begins to absorb perception. Availability starts to sit alongside ability. This transition is rarely deliberate or malicious. It is often the unintended consequence of systems built around a singular life model—one that assumes linear progression, uninterrupted presence, and a separation between professional contribution and personal responsibility.
This is where the paradox deepens.
The biological and social realities of women’s lives frequently coincide with the most critical years of professional evaluation. Motherhood, caregiving, and family responsibilities intersect with leadership pipelines, command tenures, and promotion thresholds. In the absence of adaptive design, institutions risk equating physical availability with professional potential. The loss that follows is quiet but significant—not of dissent or disengagement, but of accumulated expertise.
Running parallel to this structural narrowing is a growing emphasis on representation. Women in uniform are increasingly featured on posters, panels, and public platforms as symbols of progress. Such visibility matters. In societies where the ground is uneven, even daring to dream often requires proof that aspiration is legitimate. Many young girls have drawn inspiration from such moments.
However, symbolism cannot replace substance. Representation that is not matched by progression risks becoming performative. Leadership cannot be reduced to optics, nor can professional credibility be sustained through visibility alone. When positions are perceived to be occupied for appearance rather than competence, it undermines not only institutional integrity but also the very individuals such representation seeks to uplift.
True equity lies elsewhere—in systems that allow merit to endure across time.
Equity is not about exception or accommodation. It is about ensuring that structures do not inadvertently filter out talent at its peak. It is about recognising that excellence does not diminish with temporary absence, and that leadership maturity is often forged through complex life experiences rather than despite them. Institutions that retain seasoned professionals strengthen their operational depth, continuity, and strategic judgement.
There is also an often-overlooked ecosystem behind every individual career. Families, parents, and support systems play a decisive role in enabling ambition. My own journey was shaped by parents who never questioned the scale of my dreams, who normalised aspiration, and who provided quiet, unwavering support. Such ecosystems matter—not as privilege, but as enablers that institutions must increasingly acknowledge and complement through thoughtful design.
The question, then, is not whether women belong in uniformed leadership. That question has long been answered through performance. The more pressing question is whether our systems are designed to retain excellence beyond visibility, beyond symbolism, and beyond traditional timelines.
A Sashakt Nari is not empowered by posters alone. She is empowered when her competence is trusted, her progression is uninterrupted by bias, and her contribution is valued consistently across the arc of her career. A Viksit Bharat will be built not merely by expanding access, but by ensuring that those who enter are allowed to rise—on merit, with dignity, and without qualification.
Institutions evolve not by lowering standards, but by refining systems. When equity aligns with excellence, progress becomes sustainable. That is the conversation we must now have—quietly, seriously, and with the confidence that merit, when allowed to endure, always strengthens the institution it serves.
About the Author
Wg Cdr Gitanjli Singh (Retd) is an aeronautical engineer of the Indian Air Force, commissioned in IAF in January 2011. With extensive experience across operational, leadership, and strategic roles, she has served on transport aircraft fleets and in multi-agency environments. A recipient of the GOC-in-C Commendation and the Chief of the Air Staff Commendation, she has also authored papers on strategic and diplomatic subjects. Her work reflects a deep engagement with leadership, institutional design, and gender-neutral professionalism.