In a move to strengthen military-diplomatic ties, the Indian Army is hosting a unique Women Military Officers Course for women military officers hailing from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, in collaboration with the Indian Army. This course, taking place from September 18 to September 29 in Delhi, has a theme centered on the United Nations framework and is designed to be an empowering and collaborative training program. Its focus extends to India and ASEAN’s shared commitment to promote international cooperation in support of lasting global peace while upholding gender equality.
The event aligns with India’s broader dedication to the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, aiming to strengthen a more resilient and collaborative security framework within the region, all in accordance with the UN Charter. As part of this program, a lecture demonstration and equipment display, emphasizing Nari Shakti (Women’s Power) and Atmanirbhar (Self-reliant) Bharat (India), was organized for participants on September 25 at the UN pre-deployment training area in New Delhi.
The Women Military Officers Course is organized under the authority of the Ministry of Defence. In 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced various initiatives by India to empower women in the Armed Forces. This initiative signifies India and ASEAN’s united stance in pursuit of world peace. The ADMM Plus is an annual gathering of Defence Ministers from the ten ASEAN countries and their eight dialogue partner nations, including India, the USA, Russia, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. The year 2022 marked the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations.
India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to further the dialogue and cooperation among ASEAN and the Plus countries. India and ASEAN upgraded their relationship to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ in November 2022.
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