Acknowledgement

The success and final outcome of this project required a lot of guidance and assistance from many
people and I am extremely privileged to have got this all along the completion of my project. All that
I have done is only due to such supervision and assistance and I would not forget to thank them.

I respect and thank our director sir Mr. KUMENDRA RAHEJA, for providing me an opportunity to
do the project work in RIIMS and giving us all support and guidance which made me complete the
project duly. I am extremely thankful to him for providing such a nice support and guidance, although
he had busy schedule managing the corporate affairs.

I owe my deep gratitude to our mentor Prof. SHILP GAUR BHARGAVA , who took keen interest on
our project work and guided us all along, till the completion of our project work by providing all the
necessary information for developing a good system.

NIHARIKA BAGHRECHA
What Is Self Defense?

To understand why training for self-defense is important, it helps to understand what it entails.
Self-defense is the training and techniques necessary to defend yourself when targeted by crime
or violence. There will always be thieves who want to take what isn’t theirs, and predators who
want to hurt or humiliate others. When you train in self-defense, you gain the tools to stay safe
from danger.

It’s not uncommon to be nervous when you begin training. At first, there will be a lot of
awkwardness with new movements, soreness from muscles that are seldom used, and
exhaustion as you begin a new routine. These things become more familiar with time, and
eventually you will recognize that you are gaining new skills and health benefits that weren’t
there before.

Self-defence, especially for women, is of utmost importance in the kind of the world we live
in today. Women, usually referred as the weaker sex, are considered easier targets. In a country
like India where the cases of gender violence are on rise, out of which many go unreported,
self-defence for women has become a necessity more than ever.

Self-defence, especially for women, is of utmost importance in the kind of the world we live
in today. Women, usually referred as the weaker sex, are considered easier targets. In a country
like India where the cases of gender violence are on rise, out of which many go unreported,
self-defence for women has become a necessity more than ever.
Introduction
Proneness to women atrocities is not a recent phenomenon in the society. Women have been
traditionally considered as preys to male chauvinism and aggression from the time immemorial.
But in the last two centuries as a result of extension of education among women and due to
certain reform moments occurred in Bengal the women have become more strengthened to
protest against the attitude and act of violence of their male counterparts. This has again opened
the possibility of new threats to those women inside and outside home.

According to the Crime in India 2016 report by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB),
around 39 crimes against women are reported every hour in the country. Sadly, we have no
data about the ones that go unreported. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) report
highlights that every third woman in India, since the age of 15, has faced some form of domestic
violence bringing forth the harsh truth. India was also named the most dangerous country in
the world in the safety of women. Women make up about 48% of the 1.2 billion population in
India, yet they have faced the risk of sexual assault for decades. In 2016, over 58,000 rapes
were reported across India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, a dramatic
increase from over 33,000 that were reported in 2012. In Delhi, almost 4,000 sexual harassment
cases were reported that year, as well as more than 80,000 harassment cases nationwide.

Many activists say that things have become more problematic in recent years, as women are
too often taught both culturally and socially to remain invisible. In many cities and most of
rural India, girls are told not speak in front of men, they have to ask for permission before they
leave their homes, and married women are not allowed to leave their homes without their
husbands.

The changing dynamics, with women increasingly entering the work force, have them
navigating a sphere where men have otherwise dominated for generations. For a majority of
women, it’s become important to learn how to keep themselves safe as they move from small
towns and villages to cities. Now, they are learning to protect themselves.
With the rising number of crimes against women in the nation, the Government is taking a step
forward for self-defence training for girls in schools to ensure their safety. The training should
be given from the beginning to protect themselves in every parts of the world. Training is to be
provided to persons from government schools, colleges, girl student staying in hostels, hostels
recognised by Social Welfare Department, women belonging to BPL, slum dwellers, students
of Orphanage, etc. This proposal has been recommended in principle by the Empowered
Committee of the Nirbhaya Fund under the Ministry of Women and Child Development that
self-defence training can be incorporated in the curriculum of girl school for classes between
4th to 9th standard.

We like to think that we live in a world where children are, at all times, shielded from violence
and abuse, but unfortunately, that is far from the truth. Today, we have to live with the truth
that children are often violated and abused because of their vulnerability and inability to fight
back. Children between the ages of six to sixteen often do not know to react, or fight back when
they are subjected to violence, which makes them easy targets for physical and sexual violence.
The number of cases registered for child abuse raised from 8,904 in the year 2014 to 14,913 in
the year 2015.

Facing violence at a young age, when children cannot fully comprehend what has happened to
them, has severe psychosocial repercussions. Children grow up with serious mood disorders
like depression, anxiety and paranoia. If left untreated, these disorders can take over a child’s
entire life. Children also face serious problems in any future relationships; develop deeply
rooted trust issues, and these issues, if left unaddressed carry well into their adult life. Worse,
in many cases after facing abuse or inflicted trauma as a child, the same children grow up to be
abusers themselves. Many children, due to trauma suffer cognitive damage, which implies that
their brain ceases to function normally.

In a country like ours, where abuse and violence are more often than not, inflicted by close
friends or family, many cases of child abuse go unreported. As children, we are taught to always
respect our elders, sometimes even when the same elders are the ones constantly taking
advantage of young innocence. According to a recent study, 94.8% of rape cases saw children
being raped by someone they knew, not strangers. It is sickening that today, we have to teach
children how to defend themselves against the same adults who are supposed to protect and
nurture them, but it is a need and we must face it.

It is high time then, that we start teaching young children how to stand up for themselves, to
fight back, shout, scream, do anything to feign off this violence they don’t deserve, and as
children spend most of their daytime in school, it is upto the school to implement self-defence
as a subject taken seriously.

A one-day workshop will not help anybody. Neither will a speech about how children,
especially young girls, must keep themselves safe by seeking protection and wearing society
deemed appropriate clothes. Children must be taught how to depend only on themselves, and
must be made to realize that despite what anyone might say, they have a right to feel violated
by someone’s abusive actions, and that they must not accept it and learn to live with it. Along
with this, children should be taught that it’s not normal for adults to fetishize, sexualize and
take advantage of children.

By teaching children self-defence, we are not just teaching them how to fight back, but also
how to respect their own bodies, how to stand up for themselves, how to differentiate good or
bad touch, how to feel sufficient and secure in your abilities to take care of yourself.

It is rightly said that children are the future of tomorrow. It is up to us to shape these young
minds into healthy and responsible adults by teaching them how to never, ever, accept the
violence they don’t deserve.

Already, schools in Mumbai, such as Jamnabai Narsee School in Vile Parle have taken a step
forward and introduced self Defence as a compulsory subject. Sudeshna Chatterjee, School
Principal, said “This is not a conventional martial arts programme. It is a holistic approach
based completely on self-defence. The training is based on mixed martial arts, a composition
of techniques taken from karate, aikido, kickboxing and krav maga. Our students will be taught
basic, practical self-defence skills, which will enable them to get away safely from any
untoward situation as quickly as possible.”

DAV Public School, New Panvel, is going to start self-defence training for students in the last
week of September or early October. Apeejay School, Kharghar, has already introduced karate
for students from Class 1 to 6 last year.

Claudelle Monis, an English Literature and Corrective English professor says, “I think self-
defence should be a mandatory subject in schools, to allow children the opportunity to defend
themselves in the face of danger. Apart from this, I also think children should be taught to
watch out for predatory behaviour and report any display of it to adults they trust.”

Taking a step forward is the need of the hour, and following these examples, all schools must,
at this point, take that step forward, for the safety of the country’s children. Parents, teachers
and guardians alike will agree with the words of Ashoka Mehta, an economics teacher, that
“sexual education and physical education, coupled with intensive self-defence training is what
India needs, at this hour.”
OBJECTIVES OF SELF DEFENCE:

Nothing feels better than knowing you can take care of yourself mentally, financially, and
physically. However for a lot of people, the physical part is just exercise. Being able to protect
yourself in all situations is a confidence booster as much as it is a reassurance. A reassurance
that can only be gained through any form of self defense classes. Today, when people think
about self defense classes, they tend to think about women and children. However, self defense
classes (and practices such as karate, boxing, jiu jitsu, ect. ), are for everyone.

I believe in the power of knowledge and practice when it comes to self defense. In gathering
the reasons why it is important for everyone to take these classes, I talked with a 6th degree
black belt, Master Olson, who owns his own karate school. Through our conversations, I was
provided with these 10 reasons why taking self defense classes is beneficial to everyone.

1. It builds confidence

One of the biggest advantages to taking self defense classes is the way it makes you feel
afterwards. A lot of people are unconfident with their abilities to protect themselves before they
join a practice, or take classes. This can be due to personal experiences, as well as driven by
the news. We hear a lot about the negativity in our society, and this can leave people feeling
unprotected. Self defense classes will build confidence in yourself. If you are getting bullied,
it is also a great way to protect yourself and grow confidence in yourself, ultimately molding
you into a better person.

2. It works on your balance

Let’s face it, some of us can’t walk and chew gum at the same time – myself included. These
types of classes require a lot out of your body, including the ability to do two things at once
without falling over. Improving your balance also means improving focus. Karate and self
defense classes teach you how to focus on your target while you control your body. Without
balance it is almost impossible to fight. Through gaining your body control and balance, you
will be better prepared to protect yourself.
 3. It helps develop self-discipline

“The only discipline that lasts, is self-discipline.” -Bum Phillips. In order to learn and grow
with your self defense abilities, you have to develop self-discipline. You have to be motivated
and dedicated to the practice. In order to be better protected-you have to keep practicing.
Actually going to class and showing up on a regular basis develops discipline. Taking these
types of classes will get you focused on your personal protection and on your surroundings.
Like with any other sport, you can’t get better if you don’t practice.

4. It helps improve your physical conditioning

The whole point of self defense classes is to prepare you for any situation that may bring harm
to you. Physical conditioning is extremely important when it comes to self defense. Training
and practicing prepares you for the adrenalin dump when a situation arises that may require
you to fight. When someone comes after you, you will experience what is called an adrenalin
dump. It’s your body’s way of responding to the fight or flight situation. It only last a few
seconds, so you need to be physically conditioned to appropriately deal with a dangerous
situation. If you aren’t, your body will not work as well as you need it to after the adrenalin
dump . Physical conditioning will work on your reflexes and your awareness of an attack. When
you are fighting it is important to be focused both mentally and physically. If you are prepared,
you will be more successful in a dangerous situation and the dump won’t take all your energy
from you.

Start?

5. It improves your street awareness

Self defense classes will make you more aware of your surroundings. You’re never planning
to be attacked, but your attacker is the one with the plan. Self defense classes will help you to
be aware at all times and ready, should this type of situation arise. You might be shocked for a
second, but you will have the necessary reactions to protect yourself. Master Olson was telling
me about how his classes teach you to think about where you can be attacked and where your
attacker could be hiding. Always be aware of your surroundings.
 6. It teaches you self-respect

The practice of karate, and many other practices like it, are centered around trust and respect.
It teaches respect of each other, and respect for yourself. This is beneficial in life. If you don’t
respect yourself, then how can you respect others? When you are practicing your self defense
moves you will be practicing with a partner. There needs to be mutual trust between the two of
you to not hurt each other, but still practice well. If you do not respect yourself it is unlikely
that others will respect you and have that mutual trust.

7. It helps to develop a warrior spirit

We all watch the news and see how terrible it can be. Taking self defense classes will help you
develop a sort of warrior spirit. We all know that if we are attacked, the last thing we want to
do is get in that van of our assailant. Self defense classes can prepare you for battle and, most
importantly, survival. If you are attacked, you don’t want to go to a secondary location, and
having self defense on your side will help prevent that from happening. You will have a sense
of “I am going to survive here, not down the road.”

8. It helps you develop a fighters reflex

In a fight, movement is power. You can’t stand around and wait for your attacker’s next strike,
you have to move! Self defense classes will help develop your reflexes and you will gain a
fighter’s reflex. A fighter’s reflex is different from your normal reflexes. In normal situations
you respond to something that happens. When you are being attacked it is better to know how
to respond. Fighter’s reflex will allow you to move quickly and smartly in the situation. You
will know where to step and where to throw your punch. You will be prepared.

9. It will help you with goal setting

Self defense classes help you to set goals. Whether you want to nail a specific move, or work
hard to feel like you can protect yourself, you are setting a goal. It gets you back in class each
week, and will help you in your everyday life. It helps you develop a drive that you may not
have had before. If you take your goal setting seriously within your self defense classes, it can
roll over into your everyday life, helping you get through any tough situation that comes your
way.
 10. It has a positive influence on your life

Unlike a lot of things in life, taking self defense classes will always have a positive impact on
your life. Each and every one of the reasons above are proof of this. Taking self defense classes
can boost your spirits and make you a more confident and better version of yourself. It’s
important to have things in life that we can rely on to make us happy- taking these kinds of
classes does just that.

-A note from the Master himself-

“After reading these reasons, you may be curious as to how to find an instructor. Location is
the easy answer, but it is better to do some research before you make the commitment to an
instructor. Do some investigative research online and find out who your instructor truly is. How
long have they been in the practice? Have they competed at a high level? Do they have any
street attack experience? Who did they train under? It’s not about sport- it’s about reality.”

INDIAN SCENARIO:

SELF-DEFENCE TRAINING PROGRAMME OF GIRL STUDENTS IN THE STATE

UNDER STATE YOUTH POLICY-2013

The State Government has announced a progressive Youth Policy, 2013 for the benefits of
college girl students of Odisha. The main objectives of the programme is to empower women,
enable them to defend against any type of physical assault and to build self-confidence so that
they can contribute meaningfully to their own development, shape their own destiny and
capacity enhancement through Self-defence training. The Self-defence training programme IS
continuing for years with spectacular success. Till date we have trained 1200 Master Trainers.
Around 2.5 lakhs girls have received training each year with budget allocation of Rs.6.00 crores
in 2013-14 and Rs.5.60 crores subsequently. Funds are distribruted to the Nodal Colleges and
which in turn distribute the same to other controlling colleges. There is a four-tier monitoring
system in place to monitor this policy. The committees will meet from time to time to monitor
the training programme in the field. There is also monthly review meeting at Government level
to review the programme implementation.
BHOPAL COPS TO TRAIN CITY GIRLS IN SELF DEFENCE

Cops in Bhopal have taken it upon themselves to ensure that the women in the state feel safe.
For the same, they are visiting educational institutions and coaching classes and offering
lessons to girls on self-defence. They are also sharing information regarding women helpline
and other emergency numbers.

DELHI HC DIRECTS GOVT TO GIVE GIRLS SELF-DEFENCE TRAINING

The Delhi High Court has directed the state government to implement self-defence training
programmes for girls in government schools.
“As a preventive precautionary measure, start self-defence classes so as to arm and strengthen
girls and ensure their self-protection. This should include all techniques, exclusively taught to
them on a priority basis,” a Bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna stated. The
court asked the government to consider integrating self-defence classes into the curriculum for
girl students. It said that there were several self-defence techniques which could be learned
easily.

The Senior Standing counsel for the Delhi Government, Rahul Mehra, said that the Delhi Police
was also providing similar training to women in various colonies in the city. Chairman of the
Delhi Commission of Women said that there were only 50 trainers from the Delhi Police to
train the students, and said that the court should ensure that there will be enough trainers to
conduct the self-defence classes in schools. The court has suggested roping in civilian
volunteers and trainers, and volunteers from the defence and military to teach girls techniques
to defend themselves.

PROGRAMME OF SELF DEFENCE TRAINING FOR GIRLS UNDER RMSA

The Govt. of West Bengal proposed in the current AWP&B of West Bengal RMSA an
innovation programme on Girls education wherein an intensive training will be given to at least
1,00,000 girls reading in class IX, X, XI & XII so that they can build up in themselves certain
self-defence skills including life skill for self-protection and self-development. The programme
has two prolonged targets, to develop certain life skill and learn certain self defence
mechanism.

MAKE SELF-DEFENCE A MANDATORY PART OF SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

CURRICULA FOR FEMALE STUDENTS

With every incident, it is becoming more and more imperative for women to know how to
protect and defend themselves, if ever the need arises. For a safer world, there’s a crucial
requirement to teach self-defence to girls from an early age, so that they grow up to become
self-reliant, strong and confident individuals. Self-defence would prepare them for any
unforeseen circumstance and can also empower them to help others in time of need.

Self-defence classes have many benefits apart from just safety. They sharpen your reflexes,
keep you fit, reduce stress, raise self-awareness, and also teach you discipline – skills that can
help every woman lead a happy and safe life.

There is an appeal to the Government of India; Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra
Modi; Hon’ble Minister of HRD, Shri Prakash Javedkar; Hon’ble Union Minister of Women
& Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi, and MP of Rajya Sabha for Uttar Pradesh, Smt.
Jaya Bachchan to make self-defence classes a mandatory part of school and college curricula
for female students.

UGC MAKES SELF-DEFENCE MANDATORY IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to colleges and universities asking them
whether they have introduced self-defence programmes for women and if they have taken
initiatives for inculcating inclusive values among students, both measures aimed at addressing
contemporary concerns related to women’s safety and social strife. All the universities have
been asked to inform the UGC what steps they have taken to encourage and strengthen National
Cadet Corps training at the college and university level. The commission decided to fund self-
defence courses for women a few years back. The Commission in 2016 had issued a notification
stating that all universities could offer NCC as an optional subject to students.

UGC GUIDELINES ON SAFETY OF STUDENTS ON AND OFF CAMPUSES OF

HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
 Self-defense training for women studying and working on campus through tie-ups with training
institutions / NGOs should be made a mandatory component of extra-curricular activities
undertaken in HEIs. Physical defense training can follow instructions on rape aggression
defense model that focuses on strategies like awareness, risk reduction and risk avoidance and
hands-on self-defense techniques. In the face of the increasing cases of sexual harassment and
violence against women, it is incumbent upon HEIs to institute a thoroughgoing support and
education mechanism. HEIs can organized preventions programs in collaboration with student
groups to:

 Educate the campus community about sexual violence in the context of a university setting
and engage people in a commitment to get involved when they observe risky situations.
 Confront the oppressive stereotypes that are the basis for the disrespect that leads to
interpersonal violence.
 Talk about healthy relationships and healthy sexuality, emphasizing the importance of
communication and respecting personal boundaries
 Coordinate campus-wide awareness efforts, such as town hall meetings, lectures, and other
open spaces for dialogue on sexual violence.

SELF DEFENSE PROGRAMS IN CORPORATE WORLD

With workplace violence on the rise, business leaders have become more aware of protecting
themselves and their staff. Pure self defense can address these concerns by providing corporate
seminars and workshops tailored to the needs of most businesses and service industries
including, but not limited to health care, real estate, sales, reception, night crews, and customer
service employees. Effective self-protection is not only a practical and common sense necessity
but it is also an important component in helping to ensure the long term profitability of your
business as well as making your employees feel more confident, secure, and valued. Most
companies know that they can’t afford to have any of their employees become the victim of
violence; whether it happens to be on or off the job is irrelevant. Each living cell in the organism
that is your company is valuable and significant to the well-being of the organism as a whole.

Here are a few of the famous sexual harassment cases:

 In 2002, Phaneesh Murthy, a director with Infosys was accused of sexual harassment by his
secretary Reka Maximovitch. They reached an out-of-court settlement at US$3 million.
Murthy was again accused of the same crime in his next stint as CEO and president of iGate.
He was removed by the company from his position.

 In 2012, an employee working at a restaurant at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New
Delhi, filed a case against a senior Air India official, accusing him of sexually harassing her
by showing her porn clips and making physical advances. The woman alleged that the
Assistant General Manager at Air India ignored her complaint.
 Wipro was dragged to court by Shreya Ukil in 2015, when she alleged that she was being
discriminated against when it came to increment of salary and that her manager forced her
to have an affair with him. In the GBP1.2-million lawsuit filed in London, Wipro won the
case when UK Employment Tribunal upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the
services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude
towards women in the organisation.
 In the most recent case of sexual harassment, a former employee alleged rampant sexual
harassment by the CEO Arunabh Kumar of the the Viral Fever (TVF). The complaint was
made anonymously on social media and several other TVF employees came out in support,
recounting their own incidents of molestation. The CEO, blatantly wielding his position of
power in his unapologetic comment to the Mumbai Mirror, said, “The kind of insinuations
the FB post makes are untrue. I am a heterosexual, single man and when I find a woman
sexy, I tell her she’s sexy. I compliment women. Is that wrong? Having said that, I am very
particular about my behaviour – I will approach a woman, but never force myself.”

Unfortunately for the working women, while the laws against sexual harassment are very much
in place, the wheels of justice take their own time in churning out the right judgement.

However, all such acts that compromise the position of a working woman are illegal under the
Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013. The Act clearly states the following:

 It is mandatory for any company, or organisation having more than ten employees to have a
sexual harassment committee called the Vishakha Committee.

 The committee should comprise two, or three people from the said organisation and two
people from outside, so that it’s balanced and independent.

 The sole job of the committee is to investigate cases of sexual harassment in the workplace
and list appropriate actions for the employer.

 Workplace is not just the four walls of a physical office space, but any ‘place of work’. An
out-of-office meeting, online conversations as a freelancer, ‘casual’ meeting in a cafe, or
even an interview in a company where you are not employed yet, you’re entitled for
protection against sexual harassment under the Act.

 It’s the employer’s duty to make available the names of the chairperson and committee
members.
For the first time in the history of the Indian Courts in 1997 the Supreme Court of India
recognized sexual harassment at workplace as a violation of human rights but also as a personal
injury to the affected woman. The landmark case of Vishaka and others v. State of
Rajasthan laid down guidelines for the preventing and redressel of the complaints by women
who were sexually harassed at workplace. The Guidelines entrusted the Employer with the
obligation to provide a safe and woman friendly environment.
In India till the Vishakha judgment came there was no law to govern this matter and the
guidelines which came as an outcome of this case were derived from the Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Even the Constitution
of India had grounded provisions in the form of fundamental rights of life and liberty, the right
against discrimination and the freedom to practice any trade or profession or to carry on any
occupation.

Self-defense training improves creative problem solving skills. Self defense training can help
employees learn to creatively overcome obstacles to success. This type of training can develop
and/or improve problem-solving abilities, creativity, and “outside the box” thinking.
Employees learn to think “strategically”, providing their company with the ability to identify
symptoms and root causes of problems and determine both corrective and preventive actions,
leading to less wasted time, money, and other resources in having to repeatedly “replace band-
aids.”

Employees may experience a greater sense of happiness and peace of mind. Happier employees
provide many benefits for their company. Individuals who have a confident, positive outlook
on life are less likely to be threatened by change, become defensive with others, or lash out at
others verbally, physically, or emotionally when things don’t go smoothly. Martial arts-based
self defense training is known to be a source of personal empowerment and confidence,
providing a person with the ability to be in control of him or herself. It is this type of person
that tends to attract and affect others in a positive way, making them a valuable asset to any
company.

The Maharashtra government is planning to bring self- defence as a part of the school
curriculum in the state. Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde responded to an online
petition filed by a women self-defence coach from Pune, Neha Shrimal about the same.

About the petition filed by the self-defence coach

In the petition posted on Change.org in September last year, Shrimal had demanded to make
self-defence training compulsory for all the schools in the state.
The petition received over 1.37 lakh signatures in support of the demand.
In the petition, Shrimal gave an example of how an 18-year-old girl fought off three men
harassing her and handed them over to police in Birbhum in West Bengal.
"In India, over 53 per cent of children face sexual abuse. Whenever any such incidence
happens, we just look at police and legal system for help. We never imagine that a girl can also
have power to deal with such situations, I believe that every child should be trained to protect
themselves from an early age. I am asking Maharashtra Government to make self-defence
training compulsory for all the students from 5th standard onwards," Shrimal added.
According to her, self defence was not martial arts, but a psychological, mental and physical
preparedness to deal with any danger from undesirable elements.

Vinod Tawde's response to the petition

In his online reply, Tawde said, "The first petition that I have received is from a Pune citizen
and a mother, Neha Shrimal. Neha and 1.37 lakh citizens have asked me to make self-defence
training compulsory for all the schools in Maharashtra. I have heard you and 1.37 lakh,
citizens."

"Taking due cognisance of the petition, I am now considering running the programme and
making it a part of the curriculum. We recently decided to introduce an hour-long sports session
for school students. And we are planning to introduce self-defence as a part of these sessions.
With this, we have decided to start mandatory self-defence training in schools," he said.
A senior official from the School Education Department confirmed to PTI that the state
government is planning to bring self- defence as a part of schools' curriculum in the state.
He said the department was going through the raised issues on the online platform and they
found merit in the petition.

Therefore, the department was planning to seriously consider introducing the self-defence
session in the curriculum.
INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO

The goal of feminist self-defense classes is to teach women the skills they need to prevent and
respond to violence. These classes are distinguished by their attention to two related
dimensions of women’s experience. First, the specific focus of these classes is sexual violence
against women, including rape and sexual assault, although the lessons learned may also be
applicable to other types of violence, from sexual harassment to nonsexual assault to
relationship violence.

Classes are generally limited to female students, because women are far more likely than men
to experience sexual violence, and the physical skills taught are well-suited for women’s bodies
(i.e., they tend to rely on lower rather than upper body strength), for rapid learning, and for
sexual assault situations.

These classes contrast with traditional martial arts training (generally a long-term course of
study where defensive skills may take years to develop) and much traditional self-defense
training (which, like martial arts training, is not generally focused on sexual assault situations
or physical techniques adapted to women’s bodies). Second, feminist self-defense classes
address the gender socialization and inequalities that make physical and verbal self-defense
challenging for many women.

Self-defense classes are only one of many possible strategies for preventing violence against
women; others include rape education programs instituted in many high schools and colleges,
escort services on college campuses, security devices such as personal alarms, chemical sprays,
safety precautions (e.g., locking doors or using the “buddy system” when out alone at night),
legal reform, and increased police presence. However, unlike most other safety measures, self-
defense classes begin with the assumption that women have the ability to protect themselves,
rather than relying on others for protection. Conventional safety advice and many traditional
self-defense classes teach women to present a “profaned self” characterized by ineptness, fear,
and incompetence. In contrast, feminist self-defense classes facilitate the development of a
self-presentation that is strong and competent.

SELF-DEFENCE WITHIN EUROPEAN UNION AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE

POLICIES
A search was undertaken for any references to WSD within EU and Council of Europe policy
documents and funded projects. The first reference can be found in the 1986 European
Parliament Resolution on Violence against Women.

Article 24 (c) within the section on ‘violence in the private sphere’ calls for the creation of
national budgetary lines designed to finance the work of women’s self-defence and self-help
groups where women may be enabled to become more confident and self-reliant.
Later in Article 66 within ‘recommendations for action in the educational field’ the text reads:
“Introduction of courses to prepare children and young peoples for adult life and continuous
monitoring of the implementation of these programmes (including) special defence courses for
girls at schools.”

There is then a big gap until 2011 and with the European Parliament Resolution of 5 April on
priorities and the outline of a new EU policy framework to fight violence against women. The
explanatory statement of this Resolution states under 4.7 (measures on behalf of young people):
It is important to educate school children and young people to understand the seriousness of
sexualised violence. It is important that young people learn at an early stage to respect each
other’s integrity and to be aware of destructive and degrading behaviours, particularly such
behaviour which is directed at young girls. Targeted measures aimed at young girls may
therefore consist, for example, in offering courses in self-defence designed to teach various
techniques to defend oneself against violence.

KENYA’S SELF-DEFENCE CLASSES ARE HALTING THE RAPE PANDEMIC IN

ITS TRACKS

Teaching self-defence to girls in Nairobi has cut rates of sexual assault among participants in
half. IM power, a dual-gender program, teaches girls to defend themselves and boys to
intervene in assaults by adapting feminist models of empowerment self-defence to a Kenyan
context. The course has slashed rates of sexual assault and related ills: the rate of pregnancy,
related school dropout plummeted by 46% among participants. No Means No has conducted
quasi-experimental and randomized control trials in Kenya and Malawi.

Findings include an average 51% decrease in the incidence of rape among trainees in the year
after the program, no mean feat in a country where one in four women has experienced sexual
or intimate partner violence in the last 12 months. Some 50% of girls stopped a rape in the year
after training, while 73% of boys who intervened in an assault successfully prevented its
completion.
Overall, interventions when witnessing assault jumped from 26% to 74%. To date, the program
has reached some 180,000 boys and girls. The IM power self-defence course designed by No
Means No is a 12-hour course, administered in two-hour lessons once a week by trained
instructors. Classes take place in school and cover a comprehensive curriculum from lessons
on consent, confidence and bodily autonomy through to self-defence classes to disable
attackers. Boys’ classes focus on respect for women, disrupting harmful stereotypes, and how
to intervene in assaults.

The program has been rolled out in Malawi to great success: randomised control trials for the
Kenyan and Malawian programs have demonstrated significant reductions in the incidence of
rape and the success of interventions. The Malawi program was primarily a research initiative,
while a forthcoming rollout to Uganda is set to become a regional hub for NMNW.

SELF DEFENSE CLASSES FOR WOMEN IS MANDATORY IN USA

Fear of being raped is so pervasive among women in the United States that it interferes
significantly with activities, including recreational athletics and physical fitness regimens.
Community organizations and colleges often respond to violence against women by offering
self-defense courses for women, assuming that teaching women self-defense is a solution to
the problem of violence.

Yet, teaching self-defense raises pedagogical issues regarding effective components of

programs. The recommendation to the government that women’s self-defense courses should
be taught in such a way to include information about defending oneself against a sexual assault
reduces the chances of completed rape and does not involve risk of greater injury than
acquiescence.

A properly taught course recognizes that self-defense courses can be emotionally difficult for
many students, not just sexual assault survivors, and must incorporate techniques to deal with
these emotional ramifications. However, there is little comparative data to identify which
techniques might be most effective. Courses should deal with individuals’ strengths while
recognizing common socialization factors that might have greater impact on women than on
men.
SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM: FREE CLASSES FOR THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY

American University’s Police Department (AUPD) is now offering Krav Maga self-defense
classes in the fall semester. The classes are free and taught by certified Krav Maga Instructors.
The classes will provide information, tactics, and considerations which may be useful for
various types of dangerous encounters. Any member of the American University community,
both current and alumni, are eligible for the class and no prerequisites, past experience or
physical fitness level are required.
CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS

Many women and girls take up offers of self-defence, especially when they are made easily
accessible at schools, universities, workplaces. At least a third of those who take up the
opportunity are survivors.

Promote increased knowledge and recognition of the contribution of women’s self-defence

training to the goal of preventing violence against women by policy makers and civil society.

There should be an inclusion of women’s self-defence training, using a feminist/empowerment

pedagogy and minimum quality standards – as a key element of comprehensive measures for
the prevention of violence against women in relevant policies and national action plans (for
example on violence against women, child sexual abuse/exploitation, gender equality,
education, health, crime prevention) and national/Member State levels and allocate appropriate
budgets for implementation.

Acknowledge in policy-making that single-sex provision is a necessary approach to create safe

spaces that enable critical thinking, explorations of embodiment and disclosure of experiences
of abuse, and that this constitutes a necessary positive action strategy. Such single sex spaces
should be supported and funded by public authorities in close cooperation and consultation
with feminist self-defence organisations. Ensure appropriate allocation of resources to
women’s self-defence.

This should include funding to ensure provision of initial and further training for women
including courses crafted for girls, women with disabilities, migrant and minority women, older
women and women in prostitution. This should also include support training/professional
development measures for self-defence teachers to ensure the effectiveness, including in
currently underserved regions and communities.

Empowering self-defence training women’s and girls’ imagined possibilities to include a range
of responses to violence and helps them to develop an analysis of violence, a deep connection
to their bodies, and a comprehensive toolbox for becoming powerful agents of social
change. The ability to fight back allows women to develop the sense that attacks are abnormal
and undeserved apart from the warnings of others and to act on those feelings. The point is not
simply to give women technical advantages, but to change the relations of power in the way
they imagine personal and public space.