On Tuesday, March 17, the Truckee High POWER (People Organized for Women’s Empowerment and Respect) Club hosted a workshop in collaboration with the Sierra Community House, where they gave helpful tips on how to protect yourself if needed.
The self-defense class is an annual event at Truckee High, and the POWER club provides it during Women’s History Month to help spread awareness around the harsh realities of being a woman.
In recent studies by the NSVRC, over 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing contact sexual violence. Sexual violence is often taught as a inevitable experience for women. Women are told to not walk alone, don’t walk at night, pay attention to what they’re wearing, and follow other specific rules just to stay safe.
The presenters from Sierra Community House acknowledged the hardships women face, and how they can leave women feeling unsafe and unconfident. The presenters expressed that the self-defense workshop had a goal: to leave this workshop feeling prepared for anything.
The lesson began with the presenters explaining how it is important to stay aware of your surroundings. If you pass by someone, stay alert. Look behind yourself, and feel grounded. If a person starts walking towards you, the first attempt at deescalating the situation should be just saying the word “no.” They expressed that “No.” is a full sentence. However, many don’t view it in that way. They also explained another sentence that works better is “leave me alone.”
The presenters then start teaching what to do if someone engages contact with you. They had multiple mats, providing a hands-on experience for the attendees. They emphasized the goal of these moves is to have enough time to run away. The moves included facts about places to pay attention as well, and also how to get out of a dangerous situation faster.
The club advisor, Ms. Jacobs was involved in the workshop as well. She provided snacks, engaged in the workshop by giving her own helpful tips, and also stayed afterwards to see if there could be any improvements for next year.
The POWER club meets every other Tuesday at lunch in Ms. Jacobs room for students who are interested in learning more about women’s empowerment.
