The Young Women's Self Defense Initiative

I am guilty of preferring ignorance to activism on many issues that don't immediately hit home to me. I simply do not like to dwell on the bad parts of this world. Of course, I do believe in the power of the individual (which is why I started the We Are Women Project). Please forgive me, though, for not becoming educated and passionate about every issue out there. I do what I can.

Above, women at Brigham Young University responding to the closing of the Womens Research Institute.
Submitted by Sara Vranes.

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Fortunately, there are some people endowed with a natural gift for spotting injustice and finding solutions to correct the problem. One such person is Miss Kendall Sallay, who has been a dear friend of mine for many years.

Many of you have heard about Chelsea King, a 17-year-old from San Diego, California who disappeared from a park while on a run. At the time I am writing this, a registered sex offender has been arrested on suspicion of the rape and murder of this girl. While a body has not been found yet, convincing evidence points to this man. The fact that this is even happening, regardless of the result, is a tragedy for the community.

Kendall has written "The Young Women's Self Defense Initiative" with the hopes of establishing female-only self defense classes in California high schools. The class could be used to complete the physical education requirement and, I believe, would be significantly more practical. This could save the lives of countless women in the future.

Read the document and sign the petition here.

While this is not immediately connected to the We Are Women Project, I support it completely and believe that the Initiative holds true to everything this project stands for. If the program proves successful in California high schools, it could very well become a nationwide program.

Please spread the word. This is so, so important.

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