E-Paper
Pune ZP starts training 2,500 school girls in self-defence
Girls from 72 out of a total 1,385 Gram Panchayats in Pune district have been selected for the training in the first phase
With many forms of sexual harassment of girls coming to light across the state, the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) has started training around 2,500 girls from classes 8 to 10 in self-defence using its funds under the women and child welfare department. Around ₹25 lakh is being spent on the training. This is the first phase and more girls from the remaining villages will be trained next year.
Girls from 72 out of a total 1,385 Gram Panchayats in Pune district have been selected for the training in the first phase. In an attempt to include every school across 13 talukas of the district, the 2,500 girls selected hail from all 13 talukas of the district. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) too have been urged to provide self-defence lessons to the girls from their funds. In this manner, girls from all talukas of the district will be provided self-defence training.
According to the information shared by the Pune ZP, seven proposals have been received from various organisations to provide lessons in self-defence to these girls. The girls have been divided into batches with each batch comprising 35 girls. The girls will be given training in judo and karate for self-defence and physical development, and the training will continue for 90 days.
Jamsingh Girase, deputy chief executive officer, women and child welfare department, said, “Girls need to be taught self-defence. Therefore, the Pune ZP has taken up the initiative. This is a step towards empowering girls. We are appealing to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come forward to provide training.”
Santosh Patil, chief executive officer, Pune ZP, said, “The Pune ZP has taken the initiative to teach self-defence to girls from classes 8 to 10 in Pune district. Therefore, the training will build confidence in the girls that they can deal with any wrongdoing.”
