Self-Defence, Empowerment and Anti-Discrimination: For Women and Trans* Activists

The course will offer tools for empowering our voices and our presence, both physical and on psycho-emotional level.

The training will offer basic physical self-defence techniques and assertive communication tools, deriving from feminist methodologies. The self-defence techniques will focus on equipping the participants with quick, easy solutions for situations of boundaries crossing, which do not require physical agility. The course will also focus on the psycho-emotional element of self-defence and assertiveness, enabling the participants to be better prepared and empowered to claim their space and position. We will open up the space for exploration of  boundaries – discovering, connecting to our needs, identifying obstacles to have and maintain boundaries, setting boundaries up and training the ability to let go of them when we want to and feel safe enough to do so. We will explore our conditioned responses to threats, perceived threats and identify where they come from and how they can be helpful or unhelpful.

We will look at the frameworks of anti-discrimination work, discuss concepts and explore its limitations, as well as look for ways to to work with allies in a way that is empowering for those experiencing discrimination and not resulting in shame and blame dynamics.

The course will offer:

– tools for empowerment

– physical self-defence methods

– assertive communication

– resilience and regeneration

– understanding anti-discrimination frameworks and its limitations

– political body awareness and identifying how our bodies are shaped by the systems of oppression.

Any levels of physical fitness are welcomed, though take into consideration that the centre is not fully accessible (although we are working on changing that).

The course is for women, non-binary and trans folks, to be able to explore shared experiences of certain kinds of discrimination and disempowerment.