Delhi Women Enroll as Bodyguards

February 7, 2004

Twenty-year-old Jyoti Lohia is like many other young women in India -

she loves singing and dancing to Bollywood tunes and hanging around

with friends.

But that's where the similarities end, because she has made an

unlikely career choice - she's training to be a personal security

officer.

Jyoti is one of 16 women hired in the Indian capital, Delhi, by the

Vision Security Group.

Once their training is complete, they will be deployed to protect

India's rich and famous women.

At a training session Jyoti wraps her arm around the neck of her

trainer - a man almost double her size - throws him to the ground and

pins him with her bodyweight.

"I'm equipped to guard not just mine, but someone else's life and

possessions too. I'm fully fit - mentally, physically and

emotionally," she says.

The Vision Security Group provides security guards for several

multinational corporations, including McDonald's, as well as for

celebrities and business people.

Why are women now entering the arena?

General manager at Vision, Rajiv Mathur, says Delhi's soaring crime

rate has been a deciding factor.

"The clients asked for this kind of service. Most clients who want

female security officers are women. At times they feel uncomfortable

with a man, but with another woman they feel at ease. And since these

women get equal training, they are capable of doing an equal job."

BLACK BELT

Even walking in a busy shopping street in the capital can prove

dangerous for a big businesswoman or a film star.

If you hire Jyoti or one of her colleagues then for around $400 a

month you are buying peace of mind.

Accompanying Jyoti on a training tour around Delhi's busy Janpath

market, it is easy to understand the benefits.

In her smart black cargo pants, jacket and short-cropped hair, she

looks like someone you wouldn't mess with.

Her black belt in martial arts and training in judo and wrestling

reinforce that.

She says she enjoys beating up men.

"Yes, I love it. It's so much fun. But seriously speaking, I'd like

to be someone that other women look up to. Like the supercop Kiran

Bedi (India's first and highest-ranking policewoman). She's my role

model."

As they let their hair down for the day after training, Jyoti and her

colleagues sing a Bollywood song that Delhi's troublemakers would do

well to heed.

"We know how to turn defeat into victory. Don't mess around with

us..."

Source: BBC NEWS, "Delhi Women Enroll as Bodyguards," by Geeta Pandey,

BBC correspondent in Delhi

URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/3431219.stm

Published: 2004/02/05 14:24:25 GMT

www.executivesecurity.ca · April 29, 2007

Executive Security Services International is a Canadian Personal Protection & Training Firm based just outside of Toronto. We generally use female agents when protecting female clients. Sometimes this is at the client's request.

Even when we have male individuals on the protection detail, our female agent is assigned as the team leader. This requires direct contact with the client. Often times the agent will introduce herself as an assistant to the client. This allows the agent to be physically close to the client without alerting the attacker(s). You can't get any better then that!

Female agents are also able to do a walk through the "ladies Room" before the client enters without anyone taking notice. Women in general have that "sixth sense" that a lot of men don't have. They can also defuse a lot of potential problemetic situations ** Police Women are often times utilized in these situations***

We have also seem an increase of women in our bodyguard training course.

Regards,

Sunil Ram

Instructor for VIP Protection Units

Executive Security Services International