New Delhi : Armies need to get rid of prejudice that women are less abled than men, as future wars will be dominated by brain power and not muscles, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
She was delivering a lecture organised here by Observer Research Foundation, an independent think tank based in India.
The German minister said that there are not many women in leading position in the German army, adding that subjective evaluation from men officers may be blamed for it.
“It was only 12 years ago that Germany opened up to women in the army. We did have women since 30-40 years in the medical field of army. I can show you example of the medical part of army,” said Leyen, the first woman ever to have taken on a defence portfolio in Germany.
“First of all, we need to get rid of the prejudice that a woman is not able do something a man can do… Apart from extreme physical work, there is nothing a woman can’t do as well as a man can,” said the minister.
“Modern armies do not depend on extreme physical work. The combats in future will certainly not be led by muscles. But be led by the brain. Therefore, it’s smart to get women involved,” said Leyen.
Leyen said women have a different view of the world which helps giving a different perspective to risks and opportunities.
“An army that has diversity, men and women, old and young, different race, different religion has broader probability… ” she said.
Talking about the position of women in the German army, Leyen said: “12 years are not enough to see a huge change.”
In the context of medical corps, she said it started 30-40 years ago, but she was “not satisfied” with the number of women in leading positions.
“We need more women in leading positions in the army,” said the German minister.
“What are the pitfalls…? Make sure that the duty in the army and family life, that is bringing up children, is shared job between men and women,” said Leyen.
She said if the responsibility is shared, it will make a better society.
The minister added that before Angela Merkel became the chancellor of Germany, a majority of people did not think a woman could be the German chancellor.
“If you would have asked young generation 15 years ago whether a woman could be chancellor of Germany, they would have said, no. Now after having 10 years of Chancellor Merkel in Germany, if you ask school children about a woman being future chancellor of Germany… they will say, why not,” she added.
With a reputation for resolve in the face of even the most aggressive opposition, Leyen is believed to the one who will succeed Angela Merkel as German Chancellor.
A qualified doctor, Leyen is also a mother of seven.