As part of the project “Preventing Sexual Violence against School and University Students”, funded by Bread for the World (BftW), in 2026, the Center for Women’s Development (CWD), in collaboration with the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) and educational institutions, organised the “Self-Defence Empowerment for Female Students” training programme at three schools in Hanoi.

Beyond equipping participants with skills to respond to dangerous situations, the programme also aims to raise female students’ awareness of their personal rights, help them establish boundaries and encourage them to take an active role in protecting themselves.

From recognising risks to practising self-defence skills

In 2026, three training courses were organised at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Son Tay Vocational Education and Continuing Education Centre; and Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

40 female students take part in the self-defence training course at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in October 2026

The programme was designed to combine knowledge-sharing, scenario-based discussions and practical exercises. Under the guidance of gender experts from CSAGA and Vovinam martial arts instructors, female students gained knowledge of personal safety, how to recognise potentially risky situations and boundary violations, and appropriate ways to respond.

The training course at Son Tay Vocational Education and Continuing Education Centre attracted 30 female students

The training focused on developing skills to establish personal boundaries, say “no” to unwanted behaviour, recognise and speak out against violence, understand healthy relationships and safe sex, and proactively seek support when necessary.

In particular, the practical self-defence sessions, led by Vovinam instructor Nguyen Truong Dinh, gave participants the opportunity to practise responding to simulated situations, such as being grabbed by the hand or hair, strangled, restrained or forcibly taken away. Through these exercises, students were taught basic self-defence techniques, how to create a safe distance, find opportunities to escape and call for help.

A Vovinam instructor directly guides female students at the Institute of Journalism and Communication in techniques to break free from dangerous situations

An important feature of the programme is that it does not aim to teach female students to confront or defeat an aggressor through physical strength. Instead, self-defence is first and foremost about being able to observe, remain calm, assess the situation and choose an appropriate response to ensure one's own safety.

Self-defence goes beyond martial arts techniques

Reflecting on her experience after attending the training course at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, student Pham Anh Thu said that before joining the programme, she had expected it to focus mainly on self-defence techniques. However, the knowledge she gained over the two days went far beyond her expectations, covering risk recognition, personal boundaries, self-defence awareness and the practice of basic techniques.

One of the lessons that particularly impressed Thu was the four common responses people may experience when faced with danger: fight, flight, freeze and fawn. This helped her understand that people may react differently when confronted with threatening situations and that those who experience danger should not be judged hastily for how they respond.

The lessons were delivered through scenario-based questions and group exercises, encouraging students to work out their own ways of responding to different situations.

Students explore different ways of responding to situations through scenario-based questions and group exercises

Assessing the significance of the programme, Associate Professor PhD Pham Thanh Huyen, Head of the Student Affairs Department at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, emphasised that equipping female students with personal safety knowledge and the skills to recognise and respond to risky situations was highly practical and meaningful. Through programmes like this, the university hopes students will not only acquire additional skills but also develop greater confidence, resilience and a sense of responsibility for respecting and protecting themselves and those around them.

Contributing to a safe and equal learning environment

In practice, self-defence education for female students should not be limited to teaching physical techniques. More importantly, students need to be equipped with the knowledge to recognise inappropriate behaviour, understand their rights to be respected and to refuse unwanted behaviour, and know how to seek support when necessary. Through these three training courses, self-defence knowledge and skills will continue to be shared and disseminated among the student community in Hanoi, contributing to a safe, equal and respectful learning environment.

Female students at the Institute of Journalism and Communication gave very positive feedback on the self-defence training programme organised by CWD in collaboration with CSAGA at the school in May 2026

In addition to strengthening students’ self-protection capabilities, these activities also encourage educational institutions to pay greater attention to violence prevention education, develop support mechanisms and create conditions that enable students to speak out proactively when they experience or witness acts of violation.

In 2027, three more similar training courses are expected to be organised, continuing to strengthen self-protection skills among approximately 25–30 female students at each school. As part of the project funded by Bread for the World (BftW), CWD is also implementing a range of practical and innovative activities to contribute to preventing school violence and sexual violence against school and university students.