Self Defence for 1000 young girls in Nagpur, India

The Hathras case in the state of Uttar Pradesh is one of the most prominent examples of the horrifying rape of a Dalit woman receiving sustained national attention in India. This case sent shockwaves across the country and our trainers have left no stone unturned to discuss this issue of violence with the young girls. They believe that the girls should be successful in defending themselves against any kind of violence whether it is verbal, emotional or physical.

Understanding and identifying an act of violence or molestation is the first line of defence. In the recent trainings, they taught the girls to be aware while traveling especially if the area is deserted. The trainers provide a range of skills such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga and karate to overcome fear. They have instructed the students to channelize fear into a weapon for self defence.

Manisha and Anita,our trainers, are happy to see that the girls are learning new things and techniques and have become confident in their speech. Some girls and young women have shared their experiences after the training. Snippets are below:

Savita - I would like to thank Manisha and Anita for organising such a helpful training. We as women from rural areas have limited exposure about what goes on outside the parameters of our village. Because of that, we have less knowledge about the different forms of violence and discrimination faced by women in a society. We used to think that only physical violence was considered as domestic violence. But in this training we have learned a lot about mental or psychological harassment and how it can deteriorate our health. We learned how to speak up if anything happens. That has made me more aware about things happening around us. I am confident that I can speak up for myself if something goes wrong. I would like to thank Prabodhini Mahila foundation for organising such trainings in our area as there have been many incidents of domestic violence. I really hope that more trainings are organised in the future where I can learn advanced techniques of self defence.

Seema – Whenever I was walking or travelling alone, I was overcome by fear. I was anxious if I would be subjected to eve-teasing or even harassment. The techniques taught in the training have instilled in me a great deal of confidence and self-worth. I refuse to be scared anymore.

We are really thankful to everyone who has supported our project so far. 

Regards,

Karuna Team