Few arenas in the annals of legal history have witnessed as profound a transformation as the realm of gender equality within the armed forces.
In Her Defence: Ten Landmark Judgments on Women in the Armed Forces is an anthology of essays and commentaries, in layperson terms, contributed by jurists, judges and academics on landmark constitutional court decisions of India that made a difference or brought about a positive change for women in the uniformed forces.
It is envisaged as not just a book, but a testament to the resilience, determination and legal triumphs of women who have paved the way for greater gender inclusivity and parity within India’s armed forces.
Meticulously curated to illuminate the pivotal judgments that have shaped the trajectory of women’s participation in the armed forces of India, this book stands as a cornerstone and embodiment of the judiciary’s unwavering dedication to upholding the principles of equality and justice.
Navdeep Singh is a practising lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh. He is also the founder president of the Armed Forces Tribunal Bar Association in Chandigarh. Navdeep has been a volunteer–reservist with the Territorial Army in the rank of major in the past. He has been decorated with a record eleven commendations from the army, air force and tri-service institutions for his work for the military community and veterans and other issues confronting the defence services. Besides constitutional and civil and military service matters, he has enthusiastically worked in the fields of rights of disabled soldiers, military widows, civil and military pensioners and on the subject of gender discrimination. He has worked for global reforms in military justice and improvement of tribunals in India. He has also dealt with landmark litigation on tribunalization till the Supreme Court of India. Based on the sentiment expressed by the Prime Minister of India for curbing unnecessary litigation initiated by the Ministry of Defence against its employees and former employees, he was made a part (gratis) of a high-level committee of experts constituted by the then defence minister for reducing such litigation by the Ministry of Defence and the defence services in legal, service and pension-related matters, and to strengthen the system of redressal of grievances. He has attended, lectured and spoken at multiple international and national-level seminars, conferences, universities, institutions and meets, and has written on law, military and public policy for national and international publications. He was a part of the historic ‘Yale Draft (Principles)’ on military justice, an improvement of the existing United Nations document on the same subject, at a meet at the Yale Law School attended by global jurists and representatives of the United Nations. He was also a part of the drafting committee of the momentous ‘Commonwealth Military Justice Principles’, popularly known as the ‘Stellenbosch Draft’. He has authored five books. He is also a member of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War, Brussels, and an international fellow of the National Institute of Military Justice, Washington, D.C. He is part of a five-member advisory committee of global experts on military justice recently constituted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, and the honorary chief editor of Forces Law Review, the first international military law journal.
When not in court, he’s probably engrossed in listening to ‘Purple Rain’ or dissecting pop culture.
Shivani Dasmahapatra is a public policy and communications specialist. Her professional experience of three decades is diverse and ranges from consulting members of Parliament, corporate enterprises, and non-profit organizations to journalism, photography, editing and social media management. Born into a family with three generations in the Indian Army, she has a deep interest in Indian military history. Currently, as founder trustee of Lest We Forget India Foundation, she provides crucial support to the families of Indian Armed Forces personnel. Through the foundation’s social media presence, she chronicles India’s military history through stories of service and sacrifice of India’s soldiers and keeps their legacy alive. Shivani is a seasoned writer and editor, having worked with India Today, Encyclopedia Britannica and numerous national publications. She also provides expertise in communications strategy, content development and knowledge product creation to corporates and various organizations. A passionate advocate, Shivani volunteers for social causes, particularly those focused on child education, women empowerment and animal protection, and is a patron of the Foundation for Media Professionals. Photography remains Shivani’s foremost passion. She continuously explores new techniques and delves into innovative methods to transform her photographs into artworks. On the rare occasion that you catch her outside of work, it will be undertaking farming in the Himalayan hills in north India or trekking with her family and pet Basset Hound.
