Women and Leadership.

As a former Police Sergeant and  lawyer, and having worked around the courts and prisons a great deal of my life, I am full of admiration for this woman, especially as she is Indian which by any definition is a very macho country.

Kiran Bedi was born on the 9th June 1949, the second of four daughter's, already a difficult start in India. Although born into a  well to do family she was nevertheless aware of her privileged position compared to the majority of Indian children.  Her parents sacrified a great deal in order for their daughter's to go to the best schools, learn sports and to be exceptional in a male dominated country.

Having become a lawn tennis champion as a teenager, Kiran Bedi went onto to graduate in Arts and then obtain a Master's degree in Political Science.  She then went into active service with the Indian Police and obtained a law degree (LLB) from Delhi University.  In 1993 she was awarded a Ph.D in Social Sciences by the Department of Social Sciences.

She is a courageous woman both in her personal life as well as her public life, for  she also kicked the traces when it came to relationship's. She did not believe in the dowry system.  This is where the girl's family give the boy's family goods and money in return for their daughter's marriage.  She was also not willing to be domesticated, wishing to concentrate on her career and so ended the relationship.  This would have taken a great deal of strength of mind and courage.

It is not surprising therefore that she went on to become India's first and highest ranking woman in the Indian Police Service. She then became the Director General of one of Delhi's toughest and largest prisons and began to turn a hellish institution into a humane one.  Many prisons around the world would do well to look into her methods, but that is another story!

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