Today is the first day of Women's Self Empowerment Week and I can't possibly speak of the importance of the day as well as Brigette Pierce did in the following story:

Empower yourself to fend off an attacker

January 5, 1:18 PM
by Brigette Pierce, Denver Budget Activities Examiner

I was walking alone on an empty street at about 9 p.m., only a couple of blocks from my car and a main intersection. A white car with three young men pulled up next to me. The passenger-side window rolled down and one of them asked for directions. I started to express that they needed only to continue down the road, but he acted confused and asked me to speak to their friend on his cell phone. The front-seat passenger handed a phone out the window, and I took it. I started to repeat the same instructions to the caller, but he kept saying “Hello? Hello?” over and over. During these few seconds, I saw the driver and passenger click off their seat belts, and both opened their doors at the same time. The driver was halfway out of the car when I alarmingly realized what was happening—I dropped the cell on the sidewalk and ran.

In honor of Women’s Self Empowerment Week, which begins today, January 5th, please take the time to share this important information with the women in your life. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network or RAINN:

1 in 6 American women will be victim to an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime
Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted
It is a scary fact that there are many predators out there that we may have to deal with in our lives. Fortunately, there are groups that can help us be better prepared at little or no cost.

R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) Systems is a course I took in college. Although I nearly fell into a trap by offering directions over the phone (a tricky distraction), I am thankful to these classes for helping me stay aware in that situation—one that I fully believe would have led to my possible abduction and victimization. Moreover, I learned many self-defense techniques and maneuvers that can bring a larger attacker down for long enough to get away. My course culminated in a “practical:” Fight Night. I learned how it felt to be attacked from behind with no warning, and fended off two padded instructors acting as predators. The adrenaline rush of my success was like nothing I’ve ever felt before and I frequently review the maneuvers I learned so that I will be able to use them instinctively if necessary. R.A.D. programs are offered throughout Colorado in university, police department and independent instruction settings. The average cost is $25 for 9-12 hours, which is an extremely low price to pay for training that may save your life.

Something you can do immediately, however, is watch the free video produced by Just Yell Fire, a non-profit organization started by Dallas Jessup, a high-school student. Police agencies, schools and shelters have used the 46-minute instructional video as a tool to empower women and let them know that they can fight back. It is geared toward middle and high-school girls, but its message is useful for any age. Take the time to watch this with your female loved-ones for free online, or order the free DVD for someone you know. Included are many effective street-fighting techniques that the smallest woman can use to fend off a much larger attacker.

There are many ways to celebrate Women’s Self Empowerment week. But the most important one, in my opinion, is to review life-saving techniques with your friend, coworker, sister, mother or daughter.

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