Free self-defence workshops for Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S+ people

A new program is offering Manitoba Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S+ people the chance to learn self-defence skills, free of charge.

The eight-week course is put on by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council (MASRC) with funding from the federal government.

According to a Statistics Canada survey released in 2022, 63 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime.

Meantime, almost six in ten Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assault. In comparison, about a third of non-Indigenous women have experienced physical assault or sexual assault in their lifetime.

Robyn Cruz, the council’s manager of sport development, says the program is all about empowerment.

“It just gives you the confidence. Sometimes, it’s just the confidence that you need to remove yourself from a scary situation.”

The free self-defence classes started this week at Dave’s Gym in the Minto area and will run every Wednesday until April 3.

Although the course is only open for eight weeks, the council hopes to continue offering it if funding continues and the demand is high.

Cruz says participants are encouraged to come back as often as they can.

“You’re going to pick up on little things through the course, but if you take the course over the eight-week period that we’re offering it, you’re welcome to come every session and you’ll learn something new every time.”

To register or to get more information about the self-defence sessions, email MASRC.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé