Giving women the skills to fight back
MORE than 100 women and children from Silversands in Blue Downs received free self-defence lessons over the weekend where they were taught the importance of defending oneself when attacked.
The collaborative workshop between Fight Back SA and BIC Soleil is an effort to empower women and children in high-risk and crime-ridden areas with self defence skills, where they teach them to defend, disarm and immobilise an attacker.
Fight Back SA founder Nicole Mirkin said it was crucial to put the skills of self-defence in the hands of women and children as it provided them with the ability to take their defence into their hands and ensure their own safety and security.
“By providing them with the skills to be able to get out of such situations we are able to curb statistics. By teaching a women or a child self-defence skills, we are preventing gender-based attacks from turning into abductions, murder or rape,” she said.
Mirkin said currently the police were not doing enough to protect women and children.
“We are seeing a greater show of police force for instances such as the Brackenfell protests, but zero boots on the ground in communities like Lavender Hill and Delft, where they are desperately needed.
“It certainly feels like the government has left the fight of gender-based violence in the hands of local organisations, which desperately require great funding and capacitation themselves,” she said.
BIC Soleil ambassador Sherri Andreas said they hoped to inspire and encourage women to feel empowered and to let their inner-light shine.
“Gender-based violence is always reminding women how scared we should be, that we should dim our light and live in the shadows. What Fight Back SA does is help women with basic self-defence, but more so with self-confidence, as they arm the ladies with the knowledge and the realisation that they can outsmart an attacker in a life-or-death situation just by gathering their thoughts and following some easy steps.
“It’s such a great initiative and aligns perfectly with the core values of the brand and its ambassadors. Women leave this workshop with confidence more than anything else,” said Andreas.
Local activist Melanie Davids said: “It’s important for women and children to fight back against gender-based violence to empower each other and rise despite their circumstances.
“To stand up for their rights and say enough is enough. We realise that poverty has become a mindset and we want to equip women to believe in themselves. Together we as women can make this world a better place”.