Girls to receive kick boxing lessons in anti-rape campaign

BANGKOK, Nov 14, (TNA) – The Ministry of Education is preparing to include Thai kick boxing and Taekwondo lessons in the school physical education curriculum for girls in order to equip them with self-defence techniques to help prevent rape.

The problem of sexual harassment and rape in Thai society will be discussed at a Ministry of Education seminar on 18 November, to be attended by schoolchildren, doctors and social workers, who will look at ways to ensure that children do not become rape victims.

Dr. Thossaporn Serirak, secretary to the education minister, said that changes in the school curriculum would see self-defence lessons for girls nationwide, while children from an early age would be taught the importance of respecting girls and women.

“Rape is a continual problem. What we need to do urgently is to ensure that women have the means for self-defence, whether through Thai boxing or Taekwondo. This will help them to defend themselves to a certain extent”, he said, adding that the focus would be on high school students.

The self-defence lessons are likely to be taught by police officers as part of regular PE lessons, which could start as early as next week. (TNA)-E006

This is a step in the right direction, but they also need to remove the stigma for a woman to report rape. SEA has a very low rate of rape reporting because women still feel shamed. They also need to deal with the fact that most of the sex crimes occur within the immediate and extended family structure.

But this is no doubt a first and necessary step in the right direction. Let's hope they get it right. They can start by making sure they educate both boys and girls and family members about rape and sexual abuse prevention, and by using women in the training rather than just "police officers".

I'm teaching my daughter to trust her instincts, understand the signals she sends might be misread, and understand that the best way to avoid any threat is to trust what her instincts are telling her and put distance between her and the person who might be a threat.

Hanging around waiting for the chance to practice some martial art is time wasted legging it.