Wellbeing & Safety of Women
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women 1993 defines violence against women as:
Violence against women is any act of gender-based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of harm or coercion, in public or in private life.
In South Australia, police figures reveal that the number of sexual assaults reported has risen by more than 20 per cent in the past 10 years. However, it is very difficult to measure the true extent of violence against women as most incidences of domestic violence and sexual assault go unreported. The world is full of dangerous situations and, I believe, women would rather be aware of them and know how to handle them. With the correct training while facing an attacker the feeling of helplessness can be avoided.
The Women Empowered Program offers realistic answers to threats. The techniques are scalable from using verbal self-defence tactics against unwanted advances from a co-worker to choking out a would-be attacker attempting to assault you on the street. We provide a program that offers a clear path to learning reality-based self-defence techniques and empowers every participant by helping them to establish their personal boundaries and providing them the facility to actively practice techniques to enforce their personal boundaries. In our program, you will learn simple solutions to deal with the violent situations that, unfortunately, can be a part of our life.
Don’t be a victim of a violent crime. Through our program you can learn self-defence techniques which will boost confidence and teach you how to be aware of surroundings. We will teach you the basic principles and techniques of the most effective self-defence methods. Attaining life-saving skills improves the odds of surviving an attack.
Our program not only teaches how to punch, kick and gouge but also further develop your: natural defensive instinct, to avoid being an easy target, courage to set personal boundaries and equip you with the knowledge and techniques to enforce those boundaries, based on the level of threat.
We provide guidance and tools to prepare you to face any and all threats with confidence. We do by offering training in situational awareness, conflict de-escalation and self-defence. By incorporating frequent and realistic training into routines, you will more easily and quickly recognise the need to fight if you or your loved ones are ever the target of violence.
The program will not only teach you how to protect yourself but will also teach you how to defend others that are being threatened. Our approach to personal safety can be used by anyone regardless of age, fitness level, or size.
Another part is recognising and accepting that if you must use violence to stop violence upon you or your loved ones, you may inflict harm or even death upon an attacker. This can be difficult to accept and you need to understand this emotional and spiritual struggle and acknowledge the possible need for the use of deadly force. Of course, hopefully this will never occur but you need to be aware it is there and ready if your life is in danger or if your loved ones need protecting. Of course, just because you are capable of violence does not mean that you are a violent person who callously disregards the sanctity of life. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, and this dichotomy cultivates a woman who values life even more fervently as you know life is worth protecting.
Training
Of course, we don’t seek out a fight but you will be prepared if the occasion calls for it. We offer the Women Empowered Program to help you recognise the need to be prepared for any scenario that you may face and to help be prepared with the required knowledge.
We help you develop the correct mindset, awareness and confidence to defend yourself and the ones you love.
Confidence
As you develop more awareness, confidence will continue to grow. You become confident you can handle even the worst situations because you are prepared both physically and mentally. Your confidence will show through your body language. With your confidence you will start to observe things before they become an issue. You will notice people before they see you. You might make eye contact with some people, smile at others and let confident body language warn the rest. Your confidence will warn people that you are not an easy target. People will notice that you are a person with fight inside, and with this kind of confidence, you will notice situations in which someone might attempt to hurt you. You will see not just what is around you but also what could be around you. Dark alleys and blind corners can easily hide assailants. That person begging for money might be after something else. You are not worried about what anyone thinks but are instead concerned for your own safety. Listen to that voice; that intuition; do not allow people to move into your space or make you uncomfortable.
Awareness
Being aware of your surroundings is not just a situational event that only sometimes happens when the need arises. Being aware should be a constant part of who you are, wherever you are. Every time you walk to your car, open a door to your workplace, sit in a restaurant, at the petrol station or buckle your kids into car seats, you must be aware of people and objects around you. Notice things. Notice people. Is there anything out of place? Is there someone who does not belong? Then leave! You don’t have to be there. Using effective awareness at all times enables you to be better prepared overall and to be proactive instead of reactive.
Readiness
With your newfound confidence, you will also start to recognize opportunities all around you. For instance, you may start to see more tools available to you in your car, purse and pockets for the purpose of surviving. If one is not on you, you will look around for the nearest object. And if there is no tool to use, your fists and feet and your own body become the means to survive.
