Army Born 1st Women Deminers graduated

By Nisal Rukshan

Demining or mine clearance process removes mines, land mines, and explosive devices from an area. In war, these land mines of anti-Personal and anti-vehicle are laying to destroy or hinder the enemy moments in war to have competitive advantages by the parties involved.

But in Today's scenario, the strategies of the war also changed and under a humanistic basis, and according to international laws like Geneva Convention and International humanitarian law, most of the mines laid are now demining.

In the Sri Lankan context, we suffered greatly with the 30 years of war. It costs life's property and the future of many wounded or disabled. But the situation changed with the war's end. The start of the Humanitarian Demining by the Army and other deminers. Now we are under one sky as a nation defeated ruthless terrorism without fear for mines or mine fields.  

In the Sri Lankan context, Sri Lanka Army played a vital role in humanitarian demining to enhance the resettlement process. In this process of humanitarian demining Army engineers as experts in the field utilized their efforts with skills and technology as pioneers. 

By extracting significance  to this demining role in Sri Lanka Army was initiated to train women cadres in the demining for 1st time in Sri Lanka Army. For this programme Sri Lanka Army, Office of Chief Field Engineer, Corp of Engineers took the weightage with the direction of the Commander of the Army in line with the Army's 'Way Forward Strategy 2020-2025'. 

This effective programme was initiated for two women batches total of 03 lady officers and 51 Other Ranks. As a motto of the Sri Lanka Army women's corps, "the powerful mind is the strongest weapon," they went on tuff, highly mental and physical coordinated and utilized demining training programme for three months.

The 1st course of Sri Lanka Army Women Deminers training was conducted in Boo Oya –  vavuniya ,engineers brigade and the second in 10 field engineers located Mailaddy –Jaffna.

Their day started before the 1st light, and training included physical training, lectures, practical sessions etc., with mine handling technologies in universal standards. Well-phased programmes were conducted by Army combat Engineer experts handled and converted these soft hands, skilful and robust, to hold life with a decision to operate mines. These graduated young army women can now handle humanitarian demining anywhere in the world.
  

The certificate awarding ceremony of the 1st ever Sri Lanka Army produced women deminers  was held at the Army headquarters on 8th September 2022, with the grace of Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army, As the Chief Guest.

During the event, the army chief appreciated this knowledge. Moreover, it sharpened skilful young women for their commitment and contribution to their future endeavors as humanitarian de miners locally or overseas.