News of women and teenage girls becoming victims of rape and sexual assault appears often in the media. Sexual assault is the most under-reported crime in Nepal, so most rapists get away. Attackers aren’t always strangers who jump out of dark alleys; most victims are attacked by those whom they know closely, especially family members. Predators rely on women’s weaknesses and emotionally manipulate them.
Basically, there are four types of Gender Based Violence (GBV): physical, sexual, emotional, and intimate partner. According to the Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2011, almost half of the women (47 percent) had sex for the first time before the age of 15, which was forced and against their will. Twenty two percent of women, or 1 in every 5, have experienced physical violence between the age of 15 and 49, which is their most reproductive age. GBV has severe effects on their reproductive health and future life. [break]
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Physical and sexual violence on women results in the increased risk of gynecological problems, teenage pregnancy, unintended pregnancy, risk of STDs including HIV, mental health problems, and even homicide. Women should be empowered to defend themselves.
Self–defense means being responsible for your own protection; doing nothing is basically giving up. One cannot help being a target, but we can definitely prevent becoming a victim. A black belt in martial arts is not required for you to defend yourself from an attacker, mental and physical preparation is enough. A lot of self defense is about being aware of your surroundings.
Awareness
This is the easiest self defense technique. It takes no more effort than being aware of your surrounding where you live and work. You must be sure that your body language projects confidence when walking alone, and avoid shortcuts through isolated areas. If you feel like you are being followed, walk to a well populated area, don’t consume drugs or alcohol with strangers, you never know when something may be slipped into your glass. Make sure to tell your family where you are going, and with whom. Be alert on vacations, keep your hotel room locked, and never let anyone know you are alone. Install peepholes and deadbolts at home.
Verbal defense
Words can be used as weapons. Tone and body language can avert a potentially violent situation. Draw people’s attention to your situation by shouting “Help” or “Police”, or commands like “No!” or “Back off!” Such noise will draw the attention of passerby. DO not fear to discourage the approaching predator loudly, or even rudely. Most women are too nice to shout, and end up being victimized for it.
False surrender
Use your intellect. During rape, denial can cost you your life, so try to delay it by asking for a condom or a bathroom break. You can then try and find an escape path. You may also say that you have AIDS, which is perhaps the best way to escape. When avoidance is impossible, one often has a better chance of escaping by fighting or shouting. Most attackers don’t begin with brute force; they begin by coaxing a woman into an isolated area and forcing her to surrender. Predators need a location where they are less likely to get caught. Do whatever you have to do to prevent being taken to a second location.
Physical defense
Such defense can be armed or unarmed. The unarmed method includes hand and elbow strikes, kicks to vulnerable parts, and forcing the attacker to loosen grip. The armed section includes a wide variety of weapons. Improvised weapons like keys, flashlights, kitchen utensils, newspapers, hair sprays, pencils, knives, umbrellas, and pepper sprays can be used. Women are physically smaller than men, but they can fight back if they learn some basic techniques.
Legal defense
Women who don’t resist are more likely to be assaulted and sustain more serious injuries than women who fight back. If you are raped, call the police. Do not take a bath, report the case within 35 days as per the legal provision of Nepal. Try to recognize the predator, go to a hospital and ask for support without hesitation. Many cases do not even appear in the media due to fear of social ostracizing. Such social conditioning can leave women vulnerable.
To reduce cases of sexual assault, women empowerment self-defense courses need to be designed. The government should make self-defense compulsory where every girl can take the basic course in school, college and office. If each school takes an initiative of self-defense education for girls, and offers special training to teachers, the number of such cases would drop. There must be sports facilities at every school which should be used to conduct these classes, which will boost confidence as well as improve fitness.
Legal restrictions also influence self-defense in our country. The right to self-defense to private citizens is strictly limited to situations where the immediate threat of violence cannot be prevented. The law against rape and sexual assault is not effective, so a reform is strongly recommended. Female police and psychiatric specialists should be appointed to interrogate girls in case like sexual assault and rape, because they hesitate to open up with male police.
The author is a martial artist, meditation
practitioner, and sociologist by profession
girithejorba@gmail.com
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