DNA Edit: Set sail for a record

If one needed any further proof that women are equal to the tasks that men consider are their exclusive preserve, chew over this: An all-woman Indian Navy team will sail around the world to create a world record. If they succeed in circumnavigating the earth, they will be the first bunch of women to ever complete such a challenging task.

The crew comprising Lieutenant Commanders, Vartika Joshi, Pratibha Jamwal and Patarapalli Swathi, Lieutenants, Aishwarya Boddapati, Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta, are most likely to set sail in less than a month. They are poised to take on the mighty seas, and confident about weathering the storms on their way as they have been preparing since 2014 for an arduous voyage.

The women have already undertaken a couple of medium voyages to get acquainted with the rigours of sailing. They do admit of nervousness but are resolute in their course of action. Life in the seas is a different ballgame altogether.

Countless stories abound of the mysteries that sailors have chanced upon: Of hidden treasures and lost islands. These tough women, too, will have their share of adventures that the world would be all too eager to hear. Each one of them already has 15,000 nautical miles to their credit, but this mission will be one of its kind.

From space to the seas, the country’s brave women will do their people proud. It’s time men woke up this new reality. A male-dominated world is fast disappearing.