Bhubaneswar: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the state on Thursday rolled out a self-defence training programme for women self-help group (SHG) members, aiming to equip them with practical skills and confidence to safeguard themselves.Pravati Parida, deputy chief minister, launched the self-defence training programme, which will be conducted by department of mission shakti in partnership with National Commission for Women (NCW). In the pilot phase, 5,000 women from five districts — Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Keonjhar and Ganjam — will be trained, while the training will be extended to more members of SHGs in days to come, officials said.Parida said the programme focuses on strengthening personal safety while expanding the role of the SHG women beyond economic activities. “Empowering women is not limited to financial independence; it must also ensure their safety, dignity and confidence. This self-defence training programme will equip our SHG women with the strength and skills to move fearlessly, take independent decisions and actively participate in economic activities,” Parida said.NCW chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar emphasised the importance of institutional support for women’s safety and capacity building. “Initiatives like these play a crucial role in enabling women to contribute meaningfully to society and the economy. The initiative seeks to enhance women’s mobility, ensure safer participation in market linkages and strengthen the foundation of women-led development in the state,” she said.The department plans to organise the training programme through structured workshops conducted over 12 days across the five districts. The women will be provided self-defence kits and certificates on completion of the workshops.Till now, the state govt had focused on self-defence training of girls in higher educational institutions.Following the FM College incident last year, the state launched Shaktishree initiative, a comprehensive safety programme focusing on self-defence training for female students, spanning 16 universities and over 730 govt/aided colleges. Under this, a six-day intensive training programme was conducted.
