A Woman's Journey through Self-Defense

Throughout our blog, we have talked a lot about the suffering of women through sex trafficking, rape, etc. We have named for you all of the statistics we can find and we have told you a ton of heart-breaking stories of women who were tortured sexually and emotionally. Now we are telling you a way to help yourself. Self-Defense. It may not work everytime, but if it helps just one time by protecting a woman from any sort of abuse, then it's worth it.

At the Women's Self-Defense Institute , their mission is simple - empowering women to fight back against crime.

How do they do this?

By providing women training and education in:
•Awareness
•Prevention
•Risk reduction
•Risk avoidance; and
•Self-realization of your own physical power
These tools greatly increase a woman's personal protection options to combat crime.

It's simple, the more prepared you are, the less likely you are to need self-defense. It is something that will give you the peace of mind that if for some reason you are attacked or forced into a situation, you will have the abilities to fight back.

A woman's journey to support another.

A few days ago, we introduced you to Sister4Sister, a community organization dedicated to empowering women by providing resources and opportunities for females of all ages. Now I want to share information on an organization on a larger scale.

Women for Women International is a program dedicated to “helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives.” The program works with the countries of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. They stress the values of equality, empowerment, respect, diversity and investment in order to make a difference in the lives of these women.


This video explains the mission of Women for Women International and the Sponsorship Program in which sponsors pledge $27 per month to support one woman for a year while the woman takes part in vocational and technical skills training, rights awareness and leadership education.


Women for Women International says to have empowered more than 250,000 women and contributed more than $79 million in direct aid, microcredit loans and other services. For individuals who do not wish to participate in the Sponsorship Program, the website provides various other opportunities to contribute through direct donations or volunteer efforts.

The website has tons of resources, videos and podcasts available. Take a look for yourself and consider making a difference in the life of a woman.

Helping Women Survivors of War Rebuild Their Lives Women for Women International

A Woman's Journey...With Others

As I began researching organizations that aim to empower women, I stumbled across a non-profit known as Sisters4Sisters, Inc. The Maryland-based organization, just over 10 years old, has the following mission:

"The empowerment of women and girls is achieved through enlightening workshops on personal and professional development along with engaging community outreach in the areas which greatly impact women including HIV-AIDS awareness, domestic violence, homelessness, young girl mentoring, health and wellness."

As I clicked around the website, I was surprised by the number of resources and opportunities available for women. The organization offers:

• monthly domestic violence workshops
• Saving Our Sisters campaign: dedicated to providing "essential information, resources and testing along with education on the rise of HIV-AIDS among women and girls
• Daughters of Destiny: a young girls and teens mentorship program "dedicated to creating healthy self-esteem and wellness for youth...while promoting girl power!"

There are also community campaigns such as:

• Adopt a Sister in Iraq which provides letters and care packages to women fighting overseas
• The Harriet Tubman Project which assists women in homeless shelters by providing necessities as well as career development services

I am so impressed by the variety of resources this organization provides about a variety of topics including health and self-esteem issues. I think other communities could benefit from implementing a program that aims to enlighten women and girls. Click here to visit the Sisters4Sisters website and learn more about the work these women are doing in their community.