Women civil servants can bring change in politics: Bedi

Speaking at She Leads, a young women leadership programme by British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, Bedi said, “Meritorious women public service servants can twist the tale of politics.” On crime against women, Bedi urged the participants to correct that it was crime by men. “Our boys need to be re-educated. They are conditioned by their homes, schools, colleges and society. The syllabus must be changed,” she said.  Urging women in work spaces to have network within business groups, Bedi said that a coalition of business groups or think tanks should be formed where women could share their views, concerns and learn from their experience to 

bring about change in the situation. 

Speaking to the winners of She Leads, the Puducherry Lt Governor said, “It was in the tennis court where I learnt to handle getting up and fighting back challenges. You will be handling obnoxiousness, hostility, sabotage, corruption, crime and enemies in life. And why should you take the challenge? Because it’s the right thing to do.” Bharath Joshi, British Deputy Commissioner in Chennai commented that Bedi was someone who managed adversities and even went looking for adversities. She took up jobs that no one else dared to take up and even turned them into opportunities. 

Bedi responded that such leadership skill was internal and confidence was acquired by practice. “Whatever I have is from my roots. I am not used to exercising the choice of wrong. I pay the price if I do wrong. So I put the pressure on other person when they do wrong. I am selfish that way,” she said. Later, 10 women were chosen for training in leadership following a quiz, essay writing competition and interviews over Skype on the topic ‘Women and leadership’.  

The winners will be given training in leadership by accomplished women entrepreneurs. One of the winners, Olivia (22), of Osmania University in Hyderabad wrote an essay on challenges she would face if she had to run an NGO. Another winner Shwetha (19), is a from Chennai and a student of Stella Maris College, she wrote an essay on ‘the topic on which she would write a book’. Other winners were from different parts of the country who chose to write on education and fashion among other topics.