As a career woman, she chose optometry. As a mother she produced twins, as international president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW), she was the first "woman of colour'' to hold that office and also the youngest. As a churchgoer, she became a Methodist lay preacher, and as a musician she plays both timpani and piano.

Of the 40 countries she visited as IFBPW president, before stepping down last month, South Africa was her favourite.

To this high achiever, however, such statistics are merely landmarks in an interesting and purposeful journey through life.

Behind the placid exterior beats a heart of steel. There is much to be done in this world, and Mrs. Swan has no time to waste.

Arriving here in 1971 as a young wife (she met her husband Malcolm while they were students in England), Yvette Swan soon became involved in civic affairs, at the same time pursuing her career as an optometrist.

In 1975 she became a charter member of the Business & Professional Women's Association of Bermuda. It is affiliated with the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, which boasts a membership of 250,000.

"IFBPW is the largest women's organisation in the world, and has consultative status category one with the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations -- that is the main body,'' Mrs. Swan explains.

"Because we have status we speak on the floor of the UN, and we also have consultative status with other agencies, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).'' Her interest in the women's world was what first attracted her to BPWA. "1975 was International Women's Year and I have always been interested in recognition of the woman's world so when BPWA was formed in Bermuda it was something with which I could associate and in whose philosophy I could believe,'' Mrs. Swan explained.

"IFBPW's main aims and objectives are to improve the status of women and girls everywhere. Our membership ranges from first to third world countries on all continents.'' Perhaps the first indicator of her commitment the organisation came when she attended her first international board meeting in Hong Kong in 1982. There she met the international president and promptly invited her to be a guest speaker at BPWA in Bermuda.

"Everything started from that,'' is how Mrs. Swan pinpoints her 18-year climb to the very top of the executive tree at the international level.

Offices she has held along the way include, at the local level, the presidency of BPWA in 1979, and at the international level the first vice-presidency in 1987 and the presidency of IFBWA in 1989. Also at the international level, she served as chairman of the legislation committee from 1983-87.

Since becoming international president in 1989, Mrs. Swan has travelled to 40 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Pakistan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan -- and the longest she was ever away from her work and family was ten days.

"Luckily, most of the conferences were organised over the weekend so I would take a long weekend from the office and go halfway 'round the world to different countries,'' she said.

In the course of her work, Mrs. Swan has seen it all -- grinding poverty, slums, illiteracy, poor agricultural skills, as well as sleek, modern cities, elegant hotels and spectacular scenery.

Asked what her favourite country is the reply is unhesitating: "South Africa.'' The most disturbing? "Nigeria.'' "South Africa is so beautiful, and the people are so kind and pleasant -- blacks, whites, coloureds, Indians ... I was not treated in any way differently so that I could say I was being prejudiced against -- and that I expected, but it never happened. I was very surprised,'' she admitted.

Indirectly, Mrs. Swan makes it clear that she was no rosy-eyed tourist either.

"South Africa is my favourite country because it is so versatile and interesting. In Pretoria I met an advocate who was writing the Human Rights legislation for the new constitution of South Africa. As a matter of fact I brought back the research paper for their Human Rights legislation to the Bermuda Human Rights Commission. It even mentions Bermuda's human rights legislation.

"In Cape Town I attended a session of parliament and met members from all sections of it -- the coloureds, the Indians, and the main parliament.

"I also met Nelson Mandela's cousins -- who own many, many race horses -- and black doctors who were sitting on the boards of corporations as well as whites.'' Mrs. Swan also visited the famous townships of Crossroads and Soweto, where she saw bullet holes in the walls and more.

"Everybody thinks Soweto is a little township with small box houses, but there are also mansions there. Some people will tell you they will never move out of Soweto regardless of what happens,'' she said.

Nigeria left her "the most concerned''.

"I felt the least secure there. Although I was in secure quarters I was not very comfortable in Nigeria.'' As an experienced traveller from whom much was expected on arrival at each destination, Mrs. Swan praised the local Department of Health's Dr. Barber for his invaluable assistance and advice in keeping her well wherever she was.

"When everybody else was getting sick I was fine,'' she noted. "But of course with all the vaccinations I sometimes felt I was a pincushion!'' Originally appointed for two years, the Jamaican-born international president did such a great job that she was invited to stay on for two more -- and then they wanted to alter the constitution so she could continue. But Mrs. Swan quickly discouraged that.

"My husband has been very supportive and so have my children. It's been a family project, in fact, and they have been very understanding. For instance, we have not had a family vacation for six years,'' she explained. "When my husband and I got married we never divided the household chores, and as a matter of fact, he has become a very good cook in the last six years!'' Looking back, Mrs. Swan felt the greatest legacies of her term of office were: the opening of a school of nursing and establishment of a medical library in La Paz, Mexico; inception of a literacy programme in Nepal; sending Masai women to agricultural school in Nairobi, Kenya; and getting the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to change its sphere of assistance to include non-governmental agencies.

"The nursing school was a very big project because there was no school of tertiary education in the area, and there was a need for public health workers. Now we have 200 students in all different areas of public health. We also maintain the buildings and carry the insurance on them.'' "In Nepal, the literacy rate among women was eight percent before we started our programme. When I was there I presented 20 graduation certificates to women who can now read and write. I was so proud. Now they want to learn English because they realise they can get better jobs and leave the slums more quickly if they have it.

"In Kenya, we sent the Masai women to agricultural college so they can take better care of their cattle.

"Working with UNIDO, we cut through a lot of red tape and organised seminars to enhance the industrial skills of women in various countries, including the Third World, so they can improve the quality of their export products.'' Decisive and determined, Mrs. Swan never let her colour or her young age get in the way of her progress as president -- particularly at international meetings where 1000 women could be gathered at one time.

"You have to have a no-nonsense approach, but at the same time you have to be understanding, tolerant, and able to put yourself in somebody else's shoes because what happens in one country isn't necessarily right in another,'' she stated. "You are dealing with different cultures, religions and traditions -- and they are all in the same room.

"You have to find the centre line. It is not trial and error. You are not allowed to make mistakes, because if you do somebody will be at the microphone and tell you about yourself in no uncertain terms!'' Even though she is no longer president, that is not the end of Yvette's services to BPWA or IFBPW.

"I am in the middle of organising our Youth Exchange Programme on an international basis, and I have also become the resource person in UNIDO. That means they can call on my services, ask me to do research, or write a paper.

Right now, I'm writing a chapter of a UN book called Women at Work, so I am very busy still. Then there is the fourth world conference for women in Beijing in 1995 ...'' Most of all, the mother-of-three is looking forward to being at home. "I'm really glad to be home. I can look forward to doing things around Bermuda and my house. After my working day, I go home and do the motherly things,'' she said, smiling.

TO THE FUTURE . . . As international president of International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Mrs. Yvette Swan (centre) assists in lighting the candle of the future at the organisation's recent convention in Nagoya, Japan. She retired last month.

SWAN-SONG . . . As international president of International Federation of Business & Professional Women, Mrs. Yvette Swan visited 40 countries before stepping down last month.