Women empowered through self-defence workshop
An informative self-defence programme was held for women in the community as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
Each year from November 25 until December 10 marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism campaign which aims to raise awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children.
To commemorate this, an event was hosted at the Video MPCC Stadium in Muldersdrift on November 26, which brought together community members, activists, and local experts to raise awareness, provide support and promote empowerment.
The event featured local non-profit organisations, police officers, and educators, educating on gender-based violence (GBV), mental health, and STDs, and promoting free HIV, TB, and blood pressure testing for community members.
The morning started off with a refreshing and informative lesson from i-Lead Self Defence founder Risha Patak Harie, who started off by explaining how her classes have helped participants identify their risks, evaluate their strengths, and explore their options for dealing with a violent threat.
“Our training programmes provide a variety of helpful tips for women, such as safety awareness, self-defence, survival first aid, adaptive first aid, and learning about the different self-defence weapons.
“I felt like it was vital to first introduce this to the ladies and tell them what most women who have experienced GBV go through. This can help them to identify the signs and take action against it,” Risha explained.
The self-defence programme empowered the women with important tips, with demonstrations from Risha, on how to protect themselves when someone is trying to attack them. Additionally, they each had a chance to try these self-defence techniques with the help of CPF and police officers.
“One in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and our country is ranked among the countries with the highest statistics of GBV makes these programmes highly significant.
“I believe self-defence is not just about physical empowerment but also about mental and emotional liberation. When we learn to defend ourselves, we learn to trust ourselves, and that’s a powerful thing. Thank you to the women and law enforcement who assisted us with this amazing program,” Risha said.
