Less threatening than men and more able to blend in, female bodyguards are increasingly in demand among discerning celebrities. Nadine Bateman takes a look at an exciting career opportunity for those with a sense of adventure and good aim.
A slender, attractive woman steps out of a limousine and walks towards the lobby of The Peninsula hotel. She's well dressed and well groomed, wearing the latest designer fashion and sporting a sleek, expensive hairstyle. She could be a model, an actress or a singer. Accompanied as she is by a group of burly security guards, it would be a reasonable assumption for onlookers to make.
But Gloria (who asked that her real name not be used) is not a star and she's not being protected - she's one of those providing the muscle. The 36-year-old martial arts expert is a female minder, or bodyguard. Highly trained in personal protection, she's hired to take care of visiting royalty, celebrities, dignitaries and wealthy business people. When superstars such as Kylie Minogue come to town, Gloria knows how to look after them.
'I can take a man down if I have to,' she says matter-of-factly. 'It happened about a month ago. I was confronted by a male while I was accompanying a client and I asked him to back down and walk away. But he wouldn't go and so I was forced to make a move. I used a defence technique I picked up during training. Luckily, he was embarrassed by that and he just sloped off.
'But that's a rarity. It's not a situation I expect to find myself in because we're trained to plan ahead, think quickly and avoid confrontation.'
Female bodyguards are not a new phenomenon. Britain's Prince William has one, so did former British prime minister Tony Blair and the crack Korean BlueBird women's bodyguard team has a reputation for fanatical dedication to the job.
Then there's the all-women unit employed by Muammar Gaddafi. A decade ago, one of them sacrificed her life when she threw herself on top of the Libyan leader as his car was being strafed.