The ground-breaking initiative, “Unleash the Shakti Within: Empowering Women with Self-Defense and Sexual Assault Prevention Strategies for a Safer Tomorrow”, was launched by Safetygadgets by XBOOM Utilities, a trailblazing organization committed to promoting safety and security. The two-day campaign aimed to equip female students and women with self-defense skills and strategies to prevent sexual assault and help them get ready for a safer tomorrow.

Day 1: Self-Defense Training Program

On the inaugural day of the campaign, impoverished girls and women attended a self-defense training program taught by female students and faculty from reputable schools. Participants left the interactive training session with the confidence, abilities, and practical self-defense tactics needed to defend themselves against sexual assault, all taught by skilled instructors. More than one hundred people attended the training event, which was hosted at the Press Club in Kolkata.

Day-2: Panel Discussion

The second day they featured a panel discussion titled “Unleashing the Shakti Within: Empowering Women with Self-Defense and Sexual Assault Prevention Strategies for a Safer Tomorrow”. Experts in self-defense, psychology, media, and social action comprised the panel for the conversation, offering their knowledge and experiences on unleashing the inner Shakti to build a safer future.

The panelists included Mr. Vishal Saurav, Founder & CEO of Safetygadgets by XBOOM, Prof. (Dr.) Madhupa Bakshi, Dean of Media Science, Heritage Academy, Mr. Nobin D Samuel, Acting CEO, Antara Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, Ms. Monalisa Roy, Chairman of Women Committee, West Bengal Sports Kickboxing Association.

The goal of the panel discussion was to break the taboo around sexual assault prevention and self-defense by emphasizing the value of enabling people—especially women and girls—to take charge of their safety and well-being. The topic of conversation included community involvement and awareness, the use of technology for self-defense, the effects of sexual assault on mental health, school safety, and self-defense.

Unleashing the Shakti Within was a life-changing program that equipped people with self-defense techniques while encouraging perseverance, self-assurance, and group healing. By emphasizing sexual assault prevention, the program highlighted how crucial it is to develop mental resilience to prevent additional trauma. As a means of moving forward, it promoted candid communication and locally driven solutions.

Priyanka Dutta