Shaliza Dhami Makes History By Becoming India’s 1st Female Flight Commander Of A Flying Unit!

Whether it’s land, air, water or even space women are leaving a mark everywhere. The latest is Shaliza Dhami, the first female officer in the country to become the Flight Commander of a flying unit.  

Women are breaking the glass ceiling everywhere and are proving that they are no less than men. The recent example of this is Shaliza Dhami, who became the first Indian female officer to be appointed as the Flight Commander (the second in command) of a flying unit.

Dhami has been serving the air force for 15 years. Since her 9^th grade Shaliza had wanted to be a pilot  She has been flying choppers. Not just this she became the first woman flying instructor of the air force and is also the first woman officer to get permanent commission of the flying branch.

Fighting stereotypes

Even s little girls, women are socialised to work in the kitchen when they grow up, and even among those who have a career, certain fields are considered closed to them. Last year, our Army Chief General Bipin Rawat made a very sexist remark when he said that combat roles would “put women at risk and they can’t leave behind young children.”

Fighting such stereotypes and getting recognition has been a long journey for women especially in the IAF.  But women have been emerging as warriors irrespective of the societal pressure.

In July, 2018, IAF had decided that it will induct women as fighter pilots.

In May, this year, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth became the IAF’s first woman pilot who qualified to undertake combat missions.

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On 19 February, Avani Chaturvedi had become the first Indian woman to fly MiG 21 Bison, solo.

And now Shalzia Dhami  has made everyone proud by becoming the first female officer in the country to be the Flight Commander of a flying unit.

Image credits – ANI

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