Women in the Pakistan Armed Forces

File:Shahida Badshah by Burhan.jpg

Major-General Shahida Badshah

Women in the Pakistan Armed Forces are the female soldiers who serve in the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan is the only country in the Islamic world to have women appointed in the high ranking assignments and the general officer ranks, as well as performing their military duties in the hostile and combat military operations. Women have been taking part in Pakistan military since 1947 after the establishment of Pakistan, currently a strong sizable unit of women soldiers who are serving in the Pakistan Armed Forces. In 2006, the first women fighter pilots batch joined the combat aerial mission command of PAF and women in Pakistan Army have been trained in combat missions, particularly in sniper, airborne and infantry warfare. The Pakistan Navy is currently the only uniform service branch where women are restricted to serve in the combat missions especially in the submarine force command, rather they are appointed and served in the operation involving the military logistics, operational planning, staff development and the senior administrative offices, particularly in the regional and central headquarters. Tentative estimates of women serving in Pakistan armed forces are now about ~4,000 and seen a rise in numbers of women joining the combat PAF in last five years.

Feminism in the military

Previously in 1930s and early 1940s, Muslim women who would go onto opt for Pakistan had played an extremely vital role in the success of Pakistan Movement. Founding mothers of Pakistan included the Shireen Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah and Begum Ra'ana.

Women in Pakistan Army

“	Be prepared to train the women in combat..... Islam doesn't want women to be shut up and never see fresh air	”
—Muhammad Ali Jinnah, c. 1940s, Cited source

In 1948, the first lady of Pakistan Begum Ra'ana took the lead in starting the women’s voluntary service in 1948 to support the medical and logistics for the Pakistan Armed Forces engage in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947. This led the formation of women unit in the Pakistan Army Corps of Medical; a first attempt was also made in introducing the combat training program for women but such attempts were dismissed by General Frank Messervy. In 1949, the first lady took personal initiatives and established her own Pakistan Army Women National Guard (WNG) with few combat courses were introduced. The unit's first GOC and chief controller was Begum Ra'ana, with the rank of a Brigadier.

In 20th century, women were restricted participating in the active duty combat operations, although a sizable unit of women soldiers were deployed in hostile areas to support the logistics and medical operations only. In 2002, Shahida Malik was promoted to two-star rank and was the first women Major-General as well as first general officer commanding of the Pakistan Army Medical Corps. As of current, Major-General Shahida Badsha is in the line of promotion to be promoted to first female Lieutenant-General, a three-star rank officer. She is also the first female colonel-commandant of the Army Medical College (AMC).

Apart from the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and post-1971 war, due to a growing need for ground forces, women were needed in roles in the field. The manpower shortages goaded the army to allow women taking active part in land battles, since its establishment, women were historically barred from battle in the Pakistan Army, serving in a variety of technical and administrative support roles. Since 2004, women are trained in variety of specialize warfare, specifically the sniper and infantry warfare. Women in the infantry and sniper warfare ware trained by the women officers under the supervision of experience male officers. Women who are appointed in the high-ranking position actively participate in strategic operation plannings and devising the operational battle field plans.

On 14 July 2013, 24 female officers in the Pakistan Army successfully completed a paratroopers' course at the Parachute Training School, becoming the first group of women to do so in the military's history.

Women in Pakistan Air Force

In 2003, the PAF started a new combat programme by inducting women to be trained as fighter pilot. In 2006, the first batch of women fighter pilots joined the combat services of the PAF. The chief of army staff General Ahsan Saleem Hyat handed certificates of honour to the successful men and women cadet in the PAF Academy. Women fighter pilots the F-7 fighter jets and are trained in carrying out the bombing and aerial combat missions. The women in PAF also operates a feminist organization, the Pakistan Air Force Women Association (PAFWA), to promote women to join the PAF as a combat pilot and to promote women's health in the air force.