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Self defense can be defined as a set of physical, psychological, and verbal techniques that can be used to defend oneself in situations where one may be a target of verbal assault, physical abuse, or rape. It also involves knowing how to avoiding certain situations where we know we may be hurt. Self defense skills are important knowledge for any activist, and the "Self-Care and Self-Defense Manual for Feminist Activists" (developed by Marina Bernal, Artemisa, and Elige), contains step by step instructions on how we can implement these skills in our everyday activist work. There are three types of self defense: psychological, physical, and legal.

Psychological defense can be used against anything that can affect your self-esteem, self-image, or cause you emotional discomfort or pain. The key to this type of defense is recognizing that you have the capacity to defend yourself. You must listen to your emotions, validate them, and express them. Surround yourself with people who also validate your feelings and support you. Setting limits for yourself and putting them into practice is also very important in keeping psychological abuse at bay.

There are three principles of psychological self defense:

• Principle 1: Learn to identify when you are going to be attacked by identifying the tone of voice and intention of words.
• Principle 2: Know what type of attack you are facing. How strong is the person attacking you? Why are they attacking you? What are they trying to achieve?
• Principle 3: Avoid provocation. Attracting your attention often makes the attacker feel more powerful.

Physical defense tactics can include shouting, running from the attacker, striking at vulnerable parts of the body, and if necessary, injuring the attacker. There are eight steps to follow if you feel you are in danger of being physically attacked:

• Step 1: Before  anything, improve your physical well being by building your strength and endurance.
• Step 2: Identify which parts of your body are strongest. This will help you decide how you will defend yourself and with which body parts.
• Step 3: Walk with the correct body posture to show confidence.
• Step 4: Adopt a posture that is strong and rooted. This will help you balance yourself if you need to use physical defense.
• Step 5: Be aware of your surroundings.
• Step 6: Do not let others know you are familiar with self defense, in case your attacker is someone you know.
• Step 7: Strike the most vulnerable parts of the body. The primary targets are the knees, feet, eyes, nose, and throat. The secondary targets are the groin, ears, chin, stomach, kidneys, and shins.
• Step 8: Remain calm, be alert, and ignore what the attacker is saying. Avoid direct confrontation if you can escape and call for help or scream. If you must stay, remember to defend yourself, especially your head and stomach.

Legal defense is useful when you want to report a crime, file a complaint, or find yourself in legal trouble. There are several important things to know about this type of defense:

• Be familiar with the articles in the constitution of your country that protect you against violence.
• Know the difference between reporting a crime, filing a lawsuit, or lodging a complaint with an administrative authority. It is also important to know what you can expect from each as they have different aims and effects. Ask a lawyer if you have any doubts.
• Be aware of the different phases in and the approximate time that a legal process takes when you report a crime or lodge a complaint with an administrative authority.
• Have a directory of government and civil institutions that can provide help or guidance in case you find yourself in a situation of violence.
• Have a telephone number of a trustworthy person who can provide legal advice should a violent situation occur. Also know a good lawyer with good references who can guide or accompany you whenever required.
• Know how to maintain a record of an act of violence so it can be presented as public evidence.

Learning to defend ourselves psychologically, physically, and legally is an invaluable skill that will increase our personal security and enable us to continue our activist work. For a more in depth discussion of self defense, I urge you to read the "Self-Care and Self-Defense Manual for Feminist Activists".

Join our Tactical Dialogue on 'Staying Safe: Security Resources for Human Rights Defenders'!