Empowering Girls Through Self-Defense

As part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda, the Government of Gujarat conducted the PADKAR Self-Defense Training programme for women and girls across the state.

The programme was created in response to the alarming rise in crimes against women across the country. It aimed to help women and girls develop self-defense skills, mental resilience and the confidence to navigate life more independently.

PADKAR transformed the lives of 2,77,253 women and girls across 79 taluks in 31 districts of Gujarat. It was executed by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, with end-to-end involvement from Sportz Village.

Key Objectives

The programme was designed to:

• Provide women and girls with self-defense training
• Enable participants to anticipate and neutralise physical threats
• Improve mental fortitude to help women navigate life’s challenges
• Help women become more independent and prepared for 21st-century society

Our Contribution

Sportz Village planned and executed the programme in close collaboration with the Sports Authority of Gujarat.

The team created the training content, trained coaches and managed programme delivery across 850 locations in the state.

Programme Content

The PADKAR programme combined useful techniques from Taekwondo, Karate and Judo.

The 20-hour training programme was conducted over 10 days, with two hours of training each day. This format ensured that participants could cover the essentials while receiving enough time to understand and internalise the skills.

The programme content was certified by the Sports University of Gujarat.

Training the Trainers

Special attention was given to ensuring that trainers were prepared to deliver the programme effectively at scale.

A team of martial arts experts trained 110 head coaches. The Regional Directors and Head Coaches subsequently trained 330 assistant coaches.

In total, 450 trainers were prepared to execute the programme across Gujarat.

Training Manual

A dedicated PADKAR training manual was created and broken down into a 10-day module.

The modules were designed to ensure standardised programme delivery across every participating school and college. The manual also became a reusable asset, allowing future training programmes with similar objectives to be delivered more consistently and at lower cost.

Project Management

PADKAR was supported by a structured project organisation and execution model.

The programme included a steering committee, project committee, project head, technical programme head, logistics and operations teams, district coordinators, taluka managers, head coaches and assistant coaches.

School-level delivery was supported through central coordinators, district coordinators, taluka supervisors, coaches and assistant coaches.

PADKAR Impact

The programme helped participants become better equipped to manage physical altercations and respond to challenging situations.

It also helped women and girls:

• Become more independent and confident
• Improve resilience and mental strength
• Feel empowered to dream and achieve
• Build confidence to face life’s challenges

Testimonials

“There has been a rapid and alarming increase in the rate of crime against women across the country in the recent past. This initiative will have huge positive impact on the society.”

— Mr. Scaria Thomas, Principal, Asia English School, Ahmedabad

“This is an amazing program and great initiative by the Gujarat Government. The girls will benefit a lot.”

— Ms. Sonal Shah, Principal, Shree Kadvibai Virani Kanya Vidyalay, Rajkot