Last updated on September 23rd, 2021
Photo by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash
By Carolyn Ray, Publisher, JourneyWoman
Self-defence for young women on Tuesday, September 28 at 7 pm ET
JourneyWoman has provided women with women’s travel safety tips for almost 30 years. But safety is an issue not just when we’re traveling – it’s a problem at home too, as we’ve witnessed in recent weeks at our universities.
As a mother of a university student, I’ve become more concerned recently about my daughter’s safety and I want her – and all young women her age – to acquire the basic skills they need to help them in potentially threatening situations. By learning basic self-defence skills, our daughters and granddaughters can move confidently into a position of control. To do that, we need a plan, and we need practice.
I’m deeply grateful that Lorna Selig, who conducted two well-attended sessions for women in the spring as part of our TravelReady Safety program, generously offered to conduct a special self-defense just for young women at universities. Lorna has been teaching self-defence for nearly 17 years and is the CEO of her own Self Defence and Personal Safety Training Company, Safe4Life, where she works to reduce the incidence and statistics of assault and victimization.
Being safe starts with trusting your intuition and understanding your environment. But it’s also helpful to have some physical techniques you can use if you’re taken by surprise. In this session, Lorna will demonstrate some expert moves to protect yourself and get out of a situation where you feel threatened or have been attacked. Dress in comfortable clothing that you can kick, punch and yell in. We want to hear your VOICE!
We’ll share more in this virtual session on Tuesday, September 28 at 7 pm ET. This event is free to all young women.
For our JourneyWomen, please note we will be holding separate sessions later in the year focused on personal safety while travelling. Please keep this session open for young women, particularly those at school. Please email me at editor@journeywoman.com with any questions.
You’re not alone
If you feel unsafe, you’re not alone. Our April 2021 Womens’ Safety survey showed that 97% of women do not feel they have the physical skills to defend themselves.
According to UN Women, almost one in three women have been subjected to some form of violence at least once in their life. Even if you haven’t been subjected to abuse, the prevalence of the issue means someone you know — a family member, a colleague or a friend — has. The abduction of Sarah Everard by a police officer in London sent shock waves around the world. News reports say she was doing all the right things: “She chose well-lit streets and spoke with her boyfriend by phone. She did many of the things women are advised to do to improve their safety, yet she didn’t make it home.”
The UN reports that since the outbreak of COVID-19, all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. BBC reports that ‘Covid hate crimes’ against Asian Americans are on the rise. Most of our respondents — 85% — believe that women’s personal safety will be as important or more important post-pandemic.
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Carolyn Ray
Carolyn is the Publisher + Editor-in-Chief of JourneyWoman and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). A Canadian raised in South Florida, Carolyn loves all things Spanish, historic destinations and always has her backpack ready to go.
I am 73 years old and am a solo traveler. I am very conscious of safety problems being alone. I would be interested in how to protect myself if I should be attacked, or what to do if someone broke into my hotel room. Is there going to be a session on that?
I greatly admire Journey Women. I’ve been a member for many years.
Connie Harman