Will women officers finally be recognised?

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said, henceforth, women officers in the Short Service Commission in the Army will get exactly the same rank as their male counterparts.

He also said that this move to 'end discrimination' will ensure no disparity in salaries between men and women officers.

Mukherjee's statement comes little more than a month after the suicide of Lt Sushmita Chakarvorty. A subsequent statement by the Army chief about the forces being able to cope without women officers had stirred up quite a controversy, until an apology was issued.

Do you think that Mukherjee's statement is a positive one? Or, is it just window dressing an issue that has, in the past, been contentious? Will women officers finally get the recognition they deserve, or does something else need to be done, too?

Tell us.