Initially not interested in politics, Anandiben has come a long way since her school days when she thought of herself more as an activist for women’s empowerment. Born in village Kharod in Mehsana district Anandiben started her career as a teacher at Mohniba Kanya Vidyalaya, a girls school on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad. She spent almost half of her life in this school from 1967 to 1998. Right from her teaching days, her image remains that of a tough woman.