Women in black

Shazia doesn't like to reveal too much about her work. She's 37, single mother to a 12-yearold boy, and she's a bodyguard. Smart and articulate in English, she hedges questions about work just the way she probably skirts a threat to her clients. "Most times I have accompanied rich kids to schools and colleges and anywhere else they want to go. Sometimes, the parents want a bodyguard because the children are spoilt, or because they want their daughters protected fearing some kind of trouble," she says. Asked about which celebs or prominent people she has accompanied, she says, "No names."

 It's no secret that celebrities and corporate leaders have bodyguards, but what's new is that there's a growing demand for women bodyguards in urban India. Rising incomes, business or property disputes, fear of kidnapping, increasing crime against women and a lax law and order machinery are some factors prompting people to look for extra security for their loved ones. And as some find the presence of bulky bodyguards and hulking bouncers intimidating, lady bodyguards fit in easily into this space. "It's easier for them to gel with families; female children and female celebrities are more comfortable with them," says Ramesh Iyer, MD of Topsgrup, India's largest security group. Charlie's Angels they might not be, nor are they likely to wear high heels, camouflage fatigues, red nail polish and carry submachine guns like Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's female bodyguards. Also, unlike the professionally trained female commandos who safeguard politicians and leaders like Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and her Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, private lady bodyguards in India are more likely to be without firearms, unless they are former commandos and have licensed weapons.

Anurag Singh, director of Secura Security in Delhi, which provides security services, says, "We ask for a minimum qualification of Class X pass and an ability to read English even if she cannot speak the language well." Some of those who apply are former sportswomen and a few are those into body-building , according to Kamran Siddique, director of Royal Detective and Securitas in Delhi. He adds, "We have mostly women from Haryana and UP who have a good physique and can talk tough." Once they sign up, the agencies put them through a training of about 15-20 days. Singh says, "As they have to spend time with VIPs and the rich, they are given grooming tips - on dress sense, body language, how to make eye contact, how to speak." They also train in self-defence techniques and martial arts like judo and karate. "Sometimes, a person needs more than one bodyguard. So these women are also taught how to communicate among themselves in code language. They are told that the first priority in the event of an attack is to save the client. Use of firearms, if they have them, is the last option, and in that, too, the first choice is to shoot in the air," says Singh. Those without firearms carry a pepper spray, says Siddiqui.

Brand companies offer higher levels of training, as per the Private Security Agencies (regulation) Act. Ramesh Iyer of Topsgrup says, "The training involves counter-surveillance , bomb search and skills like detecting something that's amiss. Also, there's disaster management, CPR, first aid, fire prevention, protective driving, etc." Some experts, though, feel few understand the real science of being a bodyguard. "Hindi movies have a different, even glamorous, take on bodyguards, as in Salman Khan's Bodyguard. Being one does not mean the license to kill. It means to save the client, to remove him from danger; one has to know subduing and immobilizing techniques , not hitting," says Cyrus Rustomji , a Mumbai-based Ninjutsu expert who conducts training sessions for bodyguards. He feels the concept of female bodyguards is just beginning in India but "mentally and constitutionally , they are stronger than men."

Shazia, who has trained in kung fu, agrees: "It's a matter of self-confidence . Earlier my family was against this job. But I haven't faced any major problems at work. Besides, I feel, women bodyguards give correct reports to the clients such as parents." The biggest factor working in their favour is the comfort the client feels with them. "College-going girls don't mind the presence of a woman while they are talking on the phone. Parents trust women guards more with their children," says Singh. Adds Siddiqui: "Female executives travelling alone by road, say, to Noida, prefer female guards." Then there are celeb visits , film star nights, parties, college shows where their services are required. On the whole, says Siddiqui, he gets about five to seven requests a month for lady bodyguards.

The demand may not be as high as that for male bodyguards , but the money's good. Rajiv Mathur, director of 24 Secure Services Pvt Ltd in Delhi, says, "If the client wishes , the salary can be Rs 25,000-30 ,000 a month." Shazia earns up to Rs 30,000 a month, charging Rs 1500 for an 8-hour shift. Some even live with the clients 24x7, such as NRI children left alone in the city.

But though the demand for female bodyguards is still limited to the premium segment, Shazia and her band of toughies are hopeful of better times. As Iyer says, "For families and wives of industrialists, it could really be about security , but for some celebs, it's like a status symbol." That works just fine for Shazia.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-27/special-report/30446947_1_bodyguards-vips-body-language