Meet India's 13-year-old chief of police

A 13-year-old Indian girl was made chief of police for a brief period on Monday.

Bhayani Banu, a ninth-grader was rewarded this unique opportunity for her determination to identify and solve problems that girls face in the country. During her brief tenure as chief of police at Musheerabad Police Station in Hyderabad, the young girl chaired a meeting with officers to discuss how to handle cases concerning women and girls.

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"I wanted to give them some tips," the teen said, adding that "When stopping crimes against girls -- or rescuing them -- the police need to be sensitive."

Supporting Banu's stance, director of development support at Indian NGO, CRY, Vijaylakshmi Arora said, the police are insensitive while taking a victim's statement. "It's not just police -- the entire rehabilitation system needs to be reorientated," she said.

"Many times the police themselves request parents to not file a complaint, citing reasons of stigma."

Realising that of the 95 members of staff in her temporary team, only six police officials were female, Banu said, "I wanted to show that there is a requirement for women in such work places."

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"Girls are still stopped from going to school. This mentality has to change and it has to change fast."

The teenager claimed that leading a team with men in majority, made her feel 'very powerful'. "It was an exhilarating experience to know that in that position, I could actually make a difference," she said.

This article originally appeared on CNN