An officer and a lady:

You've come a long way, lass

by Nisansala R. Aryachandra

When the Sri Lankan Women's Corp was formed in 1980 by the British Women's Reserve Army Corps, it was only as an "unarmed, noncombatant `support unit" that they first made their mark. With a five year service commitment (just as the men) at enlistment, they were put through physical training and drill, however, with the exception of weaponry training and battle-craft.

Then, with the clearance of admittance to the Navy in 1985, they were trained in the use of weapons although not assigned to any shipboard duty or combat positions.

Earlier, these were tasks undertaken exclusively by men, but now women officers have come a long way from their conventional roles of being a mother, daughter and sister, to being a soldier called upon to defend one's motherland.

Nevertheless, Sri Lankan women had been in the forefront and instrumental in major political developments in this country, and have fought against foreign rule side by side with their male counterparts in order to gain independence.

But the Forces however were definitely one of those clearly cut out professions that carried the tag "only for men" for so many years.

But, from late 1987 - after hostilities began with the first batch of women graduates from the Viyanini Army Training Centre certified to serve as Army Instructors, until now, women officers have proved their ability and serve in varied specialized fields in the Service as areographers, control tower operators, aerial gunnery instructors, aircraft instruments technicians, radio operators, radio material teletypists, automotive mechanics, aviation supply personnel, cryptographers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers and even aerial photographers.

They have been employed in various capacities in both rank and file.