Limbering up after a grueling day-long karate session, Constable Shashi is looking confident and energetic at the premises of Delhi Police's Special Unit for Women and Children (SUWC) in South Delhi's Nanakpura.
Apart from Shashi, 29 other women Delhi Police women self-defense trainers are being trained here by seven black-belt karate-instructors of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"The purpose is to impart new forms of defensive techniques to Delhi's women and girls against eve-teasers. The idea is to transform a woman into a confident and agile person who can take on a much bigger and powerful adversary single-handedly," said Varsha Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SUWC).
The four-month long course which started in August has been stitched keeping in mind the needs of city's women and girls in the wake of rising cases of eve-teasing and harassment.
All the women trainers here have already gone through basic training in the Japanese martial arts, and this course is to upgrade their skills.
"The trainees here are mostly yellow and green belt holders in karate. After successfully finishing the course they will be upgraded to brown belt," said Inspector Shivani, in-charge of the self-defense training programme.
The main purpose behind the programme is to impart new skills to the self-defense trainers who train girls, women and elderly in the self-defense training camps which the SUWC organizes regularly in the city.
"We get requests to hold self-defense training classes from schools, colleges, corporate offices etc. Our training camps usually run for 15 to 20 days where we teach girls and women how to use ordinary day to day items like pen, bag etc as weapon for their defense," Shivani said.
Talking to Deccan Herald, one of the 30 women trainers Constable Shashi explained the need of self-defense training for women these days: "The training which we impart helps women and girls to open up about abuse and harassment of any kind and take decisive action against it. The abuse could be from outsiders and from inside the family also."
The training is just not focused on the physical aspect, mentally also it strives to transform a woman into a confident human being.
"I recall an incident where a minor girl from Janakpuri complained against her father who used to sexually abuse her regularly. Only after taking self-defense training she could gather the courage to complain against her own father," Shashi added.
Self-defense training programmes for girls and women have become an important part by Delhi Police to check the rising crime against women in the capital in the last few years.
In 2010, only 42 such programmes were organized by the SUWC which were attended by 5306 participants. In 2015 the numbers shot up to five times at 219.![]( "Karate session at Delhi Police's Special Unit for Women and Children officie's premises.")
Limbering up after a grueling day-long karate session, Constable Shashi is looking confident and energetic at the premises of Delhi Police’s Special Unit for Women and Children (SUWC) in South Delhi’s Nanakpura.
Apart from Shashi, 29 other women Delhi Police women self-defense trainers are being trained here by seven black-belt karate-instructors of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"The purpose is to impart new forms of defensive techniques to Delhi’s women and girls against eve-teasers. The idea is to transform a woman into a confident and agile person who can take on a much bigger and powerful adversary single-handedly,” said Varsha Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SUWC).
The four-month long course which started in August has been stitched keeping in mind the needs of city’s women and girls in the wake of rising cases of eve-teasing and harassment.
All the women trainers here have already gone through basic training in the Japanese martial arts, and this course is to upgrade their skills.
"The trainees here are mostly yellow and green belt holders in karate. After successfully finishing the course they will be upgraded to brown belt,” said Inspector Shivani, in-charge of the self-defense training programme.
The main purpose behind the programme is to impart new skills to the self-defense trainers who train girls, women and elderly in the self-defense training camps which the SUWC organizes regularly in the city.
"We get requests to hold self-defense training classes from schools, colleges, corporate offices etc. Our training camps usually run for 15 to 20 days where we teach girls and women how to use ordinary day to day items like pen, bag etc as weapon for their defense,” Shivani said.
Talking to Deccan Herald, one of the 30 women trainers Constable Shashi explained the need of self-defense training for women these days: "The training which we impart helps women and girls to open up about abuse and harassment of any kind and take decisive action against it. The abuse could be from outsiders and from inside the family also.”
The training is just not focused on the physical aspect, mentally also it strives to transform a woman into a confident human being.
"I recall an incident where a minor girl from Janakpuri complained against her father who used to sexually abuse her regularly. Only after taking self-defense training she could gather the courage to complain against her own father,” Shashi added.
Self-defense training programmes for girls and women have become an important part by Delhi Police to check the rising crime against women in the capital in the last few years.
In 2010, only 42 such programmes were organized by the SUWC which were attended by 5306 participants. In 2015 the numbers shot up to five times at 219.
Apart from Shashi, 29 other women Delhi Police women self-defense trainers are being trained here by seven black-belt karate-instructors of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"The purpose is to impart new forms of defensive techniques to Delhi's women and girls against eve-teasers. The idea is to transform a woman into a confident and agile person who can take on a much bigger and powerful adversary single-handedly," said Varsha Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SUWC).
The four-month long course which started in August has been stitched keeping in mind the needs of city's women and girls in the wake of rising cases of eve-teasing and harassment.
All the women trainers here have already gone through basic training in the Japanese martial arts, and this course is to upgrade their skills.
"The trainees here are mostly yellow and green belt holders in karate. After successfully finishing the course they will be upgraded to brown belt," said Inspector Shivani, in-charge of the self-defense training programme.
The main purpose behind the programme is to impart new skills to the self-defense trainers who train girls, women and elderly in the self-defense training camps which the SUWC organizes regularly in the city.
"We get requests to hold self-defense training classes from schools, colleges, corporate offices etc. Our training camps usually run for 15 to 20 days where we teach girls and women how to use ordinary day to day items like pen, bag etc as weapon for their defense," Shivani said.
Talking to Deccan Herald, one of the 30 women trainers Constable Shashi explained the need of self-defense training for women these days: "The training which we impart helps women and girls to open up about abuse and harassment of any kind and take decisive action against it. The abuse could be from outsiders and from inside the family also."
The training is just not focused on the physical aspect, mentally also it strives to transform a woman into a confident human being.
"I recall an incident where a minor girl from Janakpuri complained against her father who used to sexually abuse her regularly. Only after taking self-defense training she could gather the courage to complain against her own father," Shashi added.
Self-defense training programmes for girls and women have become an important part by Delhi Police to check the rising crime against women in the capital in the last few years.
In 2010, only 42 such programmes were organized by the SUWC which were attended by 5306 participants. In 2015 the numbers shot up to five times at 219.
Limbering up after a grueling day-long karate session, Constable Shashi is looking confident and energetic at the premises of Delhi Police’s Special Unit for Women and Children (SUWC) in South Delhi’s Nanakpura.Apart from Shashi, 29 other women Delhi Police women self-defense trainers are being trained here by seven black-belt karate-instructors of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"The purpose is to impart new forms of defensive techniques to Delhi’s women and girls against eve-teasers. The idea is to transform a woman into a confident and agile person who can take on a much bigger and powerful adversary single-handedly,” said Varsha Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SUWC).
The four-month long course which started in August has been stitched keeping in mind the needs of city’s women and girls in the wake of rising cases of eve-teasing and harassment.
All the women trainers here have already gone through basic training in the Japanese martial arts, and this course is to upgrade their skills.
"The trainees here are mostly yellow and green belt holders in karate. After successfully finishing the course they will be upgraded to brown belt,” said Inspector Shivani, in-charge of the self-defense training programme.
The main purpose behind the programme is to impart new skills to the self-defense trainers who train girls, women and elderly in the self-defense training camps which the SUWC organizes regularly in the city.
"We get requests to hold self-defense training classes from schools, colleges, corporate offices etc. Our training camps usually run for 15 to 20 days where we teach girls and women how to use ordinary day to day items like pen, bag etc as weapon for their defense,” Shivani said.
Talking to Deccan Herald, one of the 30 women trainers Constable Shashi explained the need of self-defense training for women these days: "The training which we impart helps women and girls to open up about abuse and harassment of any kind and take decisive action against it. The abuse could be from outsiders and from inside the family also.”
The training is just not focused on the physical aspect, mentally also it strives to transform a woman into a confident human being.
"I recall an incident where a minor girl from Janakpuri complained against her father who used to sexually abuse her regularly. Only after taking self-defense training she could gather the courage to complain against her own father,” Shashi added.
Self-defense training programmes for girls and women have become an important part by Delhi Police to check the rising crime against women in the capital in the last few years.
In 2010, only 42 such programmes were organized by the SUWC which were attended by 5306 participants. In 2015 the numbers shot up to five times at 219.