VOA慢速英语2021--印度精英军事学院将接受女性

India’s Elite¹ Military Academy to Accept Women

For the first time, women in India can attend the country's top military college. The Supreme² Court's ruling this month permits women to rise in the ranks of the world's second largest military. It marks a big step towards gender³ equality.

Lieutenant⁴ General H.S. Panag told VOA the ruling to let women attend India's National Defense⁵ Academy "is a good first step and something that had to happen given the fact that women are seeking more roles in the army all over the world."

The National Defense Academy is a difficult four-year program. Women have so far entered the military through a shorter 11-month training program. But the shorter program does not permit them to rise to higher ranks. It also mostly limits their career length to 14 years.

In September, the Supreme Court ruled that women are now permitted to take the exams needed to enter the academy. Its ruling came after a public petition⁶ argued that barring women from the college violated⁷ the constitution, which prevents discrimination based on gender.

Women are a very small part of the 1.3 million people in India's military. They make up just over .5 percent of the army, 1.8 percent of the air force and 6.5 percent of the navy. Although women will be able to rise to the same ranks as males, combat⁸ roles for them in the army will be restricted.

During the Supreme Court hearing, the government argued there were many things that limit a woman's ability to serve in the army, like "motherhood, childcare, and psychological limitations."

Judges criticized the government for what they called a "regressive mindset" towards women in the military.

The Supreme Court has been critical of the army for being slow to permit women. Last year, a court ruling permitted women to hold non-combat command positions. The government had argued that women should not hold those positions because of their lower physical abilities.

Akanksha Khullar is a researcher with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi. She said, "Policy makers⁹ were resisting women's entry into military colleges because of a patriarchal mindset, that is why this has happened only after the court's intervention¹⁰."

The move toward gender equality in the military could still take time. Women have worked in the armed forces mostly as doctors, nurses, engineers and lawyers.

Panag said that women who meet the same physical standards as men should be permitted to serve combat roles. Only a few countries, including Australia, Germany, Israel and the United States, let women fight in combat.

Some women who have served in the Indian army say that equality in combat roles will be a slow process.

Sajita Nair joined the army in 1994. She said she is happy that women will finally get a chance to attend the military academy. She said it will give women the chance to build a full career instead of leaving after 14 years, as many have had to do.

"This opens the way for them to get into senior positions," Nair told VOA. "We have such able women and they should be given the opportunity, and then of course, it is up to them to prove themselves."

Words in This Story

role — n. the part that someone has in a family, society, or other group

petition — n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

psychological — adj. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

regressive — adj. returning to an earlier and usually worse or less developed condition or state

patriarchal — adj. cultures/societies that are controlled by men

intervene¹¹ — v. to become involved in something (such as a conflict) in order to have an influence on what happens

standard — n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable

1 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 petition   

n.请愿书，申请书，诉状；v.请愿，正式请求

参考例句：

• Thousands of citizens subscribed the petition.几千名公民在请愿书上签名。
• The number of signers of the petition for a new school snowballed.要求增设新学校而签名的人像滚雪球似的越来越多。

7 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

8 combat   

n.战斗，斗争，格斗；vt.与...斗争，与...战斗

参考例句：

• The police are now using computers to help combat crime.警方现在使用电脑打击犯罪活动。
• A reporter interviewed the combat hero.记者访问了这位战斗英雄。

9 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 intervene   

vi.干涉，干预，干扰，阻挠

参考例句：

• When riot broke out,the police were obliged to intervene.发生暴乱时，警察有责任干预。
• You don't intervene between those two drunks.你不要在那两个酒鬼之间进行调解。