The Islington Community Group is rallying together to teach women and young people self-defence in response to the outpouring of grief and frustration over Sarah Everard.
Elle Melrose, an Islington local, suggested setting up the group on 12 March on social media. Melrose asked: “Any martial arts experts willing to teach school pupils self defence classes? Happy to be the gap between schools/PTs/etc to start these events. In light of this week, women should be prepared to defend themselves.”
Responses flooded in as the women of Islington agreed with Melrose’s comments and opened up about their own experiences feeling unsafe in the borough. Some members offered hall spaces and put themselves forward to be teachers.
Hazel Jhugroo’s partner runs a martial arts school. In response to the idea about teaching young people self-defence, she said: “I think this is a vital time [for this measure and] women need to learn self-defence due to current events and the way the police are dealing with these issues.”
A UN Women UK survey found that 97 per cent of women aged 18-24 reported that they had been sexually harrased and a futher 80 per cent of women of all age groups reported that they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.
The women of Islington want a community-based solution when it comes to safer streets for women and girls. Melrose is working on a contract with the council for a “hall or space [they can lend us] during an off-peak time”.
“It’s in their best interests, as no one wants a repeat of what happened last week.”
Melrose is planning for June, once Covid restrictions have eased and it is safe to hold classes with multiple households. There is also a discussion of raising money for a domestic abuse charity.
Instead of waiting for class registrations, the Wing Chun Self Defence School has been reaching out to the community to teach women and young people self defence.
Abdul, who has been teaching Wing Chun for 19 years, said: “We’ve worked with various organisations over the years, delivering self defence classes for women who’ve been in various different situations and trying to help them and to give them a bit more skill and confidence based on whatever they’ve been through.”
The school plans to resume classes for both adults and children once lockdown has lifted.
Regarding safety in the borough, Abdul said: “My students have come to me telling me about verbal harassment, nothing ever physical. The worst case we had was someone being followed.”
City Lit, Islington’s Adult Education College offers a number of £99 courses in self defense, including for all genders and for women separately.
