Empowerment self defense isn’t just a model; it’s a global movement.

Kimberlie Krieg
Dec 17, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Dec 19, 2022

The empowerment model includes a focus on honoring and expanding the choices of participants, particularly those who have survived trauma and discrimination.

Empowerment self defense is taught and practiced globally in ways as diverse as its practitioners.

ESD Global’s mission is to establish empowerment self defense (ESD) training as a key violence prevention strategy to interrupt, respond to, and heal from interpersonal violence.

The empowerment-based model of self-defense training includes physical self defense techniques, but also a comprehensive range of tactics including verbal techniques, awareness skills, confidence-building practices, and more.

The term “empowerment self defense” was first introduced in the United States during the 1970’s. The empowerment model of self defense training was defined by feminist activists as the movement made important gains against gender-based violence, including the creation of the first rape crisis and domestic violence shelter services. However, women all over the world have been creating community and developing the skills to resist violence long before the empowerment model was developed and named. The movement has spread across the world, and ESD Global is proud to be one organization among many dedicated to making empowerment self defense accessible globally. Empowerment Self Defense is a system designed by and for women to:

Avoid danger and de-escalate conflict.
Increase confidence in participating in social and economic systems.
Increase self-efficacy in problem-solving.
Build physical self defense skills.
Address violence that is most likely to occur in individual settings (e.g., school, home, workplace).

Core principles form the common foundation, including:

Understanding history, psychology, patterns, and underlying causes of violence.
Building awareness and confidence of personal strength and intelligence.
Working in cohorts to support and protect each other – physically, economically, and socially.
Building community and advocating to address violence community-wide.

ESD Effectiveness

A cluster-randomized controlled trial studied the effect of a standardized ESD program on sexual violence outcomes among primary and secondary school girls in three districts of Malawi. Results support the effectiveness of the intervention to reduce sexual violence victimization and approach the elimination of violence against women and girls (No Means No Worldwide 2018).

Self-confidence & Self-efficacy

Empowerment self defense increases self-confidence and self-efficacy, perceived control, assertiveness, physical competence, and disclosure. It also decreases anxiety, fear, feelings of helplessness, and perhaps more importantly, self-blame (Breklin 2008 and Hollander 2014).

Decrease in assaults

Girls exposed to an empowerment self defense program implemented by No Means No reported significant increases over time in efficacy to resist a sexual assault and knowledge of effective resistance strategies.

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