Dr Madhuri Kanitkar Says Never Considered Gender An Obstacle To Achieve Dreams

Making her way into the male-dominated field and reaching the top ranks is paediatrician Dr Madhuri Kanitkar. She has served the nation for over 37 years. The highly efficient and competent officer has earlier this year made the entire nation proud as she was decorated with the second-highest post in the Indian Army. Formerly Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar was the Dean of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical). She is also the only doctor on the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council.

Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar's Four Great Achievements

• Dr Kanitkar is India's third woman to hold the three-star rank.
• Lt. General Madhuri Kanitkar is the first lady officer in the history of the Indian armed forces to share the same three-star rank as her husband.
• A while back, she achieved another milestone when she became the only doctor on the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council.
• Dr Kanitkar is also the first trained pediatric nephrologist of the armed forces. She has single-handedly set up units to monitor kidney ailments in Pune and Delhi.

Never considered gender an obstacle to achieve dreams

The valiant officer has taken all her roles with pride and determination. She broke several gender stereotypes and took great strides to reach the second-highest position. In an exclusive interview with Femina, she said, “My parents and teachers never considered gender an obstacle to achieve dreams. My parents taught me and my two sisters that nothing is impossible." She further debunked myths about armed forces being male-dominated, saying, "The armed forces predominantly have male workers, but not dominated by gender stereotypes. All my roles, be it a soldier, a teacher, a doctor, or for that matter, my appointment today as Deputy Chief Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) has nothing to do with gender."

On the male-female ratio in her workforce, she said, "In the Army Medical Corps, women have been around for years. We train and serve together, shoulder to shoulder. So gender is of little concern. What matters most are capability, professionalism, and competence."

The gender inequality or male-dominance in the armed forces has always been talked about. Now with the Supreme Court's verdict to grant the Permanent Commission to the Women Short Service Commission officers at par with their male counterparts, we hope to see more inspiring leaders like Lt. Gen Madhuri Kanitkar joining the forces.

On February 17, the court dismissed the government’s submissions that women were physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype” and declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers were eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service.

Lt. General Punita Arora, who was a surgeon vice-admiral in the Indian Navy and The Indian Army was the first lady officer to be conferred with the three stars. She was followed by Air Marshal Padmavathy Bandopadhyay, the first woman Air Marshal of the IAF and the second woman in the forces to get promoted to the three-star rank.

Image Credits: India Times

Also Read: Women Army Officers To Move SC Against Revised Standards Of Physical Fitness Test

Sanskriti Tiwari as an intern with SheThePeople.TV.