Tackling the Rape Culture with Self-Defense Workshops | Colorss Foundation

In the State of Uttar Pradesh, another teenage girl was found hanging dead from the tree. Tortured. Raped. Murdered. This is the latest from a string of attacks in recent weeks, which included two cousin sisters being gang-raped in their village. Indians are becoming more and more aware and fearful of the rape culture and violence that has presided over the country. Since 2010, crimes against women have increased by 7.1% in India.

A new incident of rape now occurs every 22 minutes. Enough is enough. Alcohol does not rape women. The nighttime does not rape women. Clothes do not rape women. It is men who rape women. Victim blaming is not the solution, but women empowerment can be. We need to put an end to the constant fear that women face, walking alone in alleyways. We need to train women in self-defense.

We cannot just remain naïve, and let our girls be victims to countless, unpredictable attacks. It is both the duty of families, as well as employers to ensure that women at home and in the workforce are equipped in defending themselves. This does not just have obvious benefits for the women who become more confident and productive at work, but also for the companies as trust and engagement is promoted. 

The Colorss foundation is an NGO, located in Pune and Baroda that offers self-defense workshops for women of all ages. Designed for the best comfort, this NGO offers 2-3 classes per week, with around 10-15 participants in each class. The NGO also conducts corporate self-defense workshops. With increasing crimes, it is necessary that Martial Arts be adapted to self-defense purposes and not just spiritual & philosophical development. And this is exactly what the Colorss foundation does. Eloise Stark, a participant stated that “It’s about standing up and saying, I can protect myself, I refuse to be intimidated”. From these workshops, students have reported improvements in body flexibility, shape, body control and discipline as well as psychological benefits of improved self-awareness, confidence and reduced anxiety. Listen to Jimsy, another participant on her experiences with the programme below.

Anand Koti who is an expert in Martial Arts with a 2nd degree Black Belt in Karate, is the founder of the Colorss Foundation. With over 17 years of experience, Anand has impacted over 600 lives in the last six years. Thanks to his vision, the workshops have been conducted in Pune & Baroda, with support from large corporations like Nielsen, Vodafone, L&T, Reliance Industries, Reliance Township and schools of Pune. For more information on Anand and his self-defense workshops, you can contact him on koti@anandkoti.com (Phone: 0091 960 494 1020), or through Facebook , Twitter and YouTube.

For Women Empowerment,

Shama Kukkady