For my last unprompted blog post, I was inspired to branch out a bit from what I have been focusing on for my research, and it has actually led me to some new conclusions about what SEDOAC does that matters most to their members. A couple weeks ago, SEDOAC had an even that focused on teaching female specific self-defense. I was able to participate, and the workshop was very informative and very helpful, especially because I had never participated in anything like that before. The event got me thinking about female self-defense, and how it could pertain specifically to the cases of the women of SEDOAC, versus how I view self-defense as a white woman. In this specific instance, does our shared womanhood overcome class differences in the terms of how we view self-defense and its relationship to gendered violence? After talking with the women of SEDOAC after the workshop, I believe that there is an overarching female experience in this case, but that there are specificities to the violence that they face that I will never have to deal with.
Some of what the women talked about was definitely very relatable to me. For example, the fear of walking home alone, and the anxiety of having men walk too close behind you. Even catcalling, and having men touch you on the metro or the street was all familiar territory for me. But what I do not think I have a full grasp of is how the women of SEDOAC, as foreign women of color, get treated by their employers. There is a level of respect that I automatically get as an educated white person that they do not have access to. In fact, a large portion of the workshop centered around this specific type of treatment that these women face. The workshop focused on more traditional self-defense techniques, such as kicking and punching, but it also focused on assertive language and boundaries with employers and other men.
The case around self defense and the background surrounding it interested me greatly. One of the issues that came up when I started researching self-defense was if it was always advisable. Some sources, such as Margaret E. Madden and Thomas J. Sokol’s article “Teaching Women Self-Defense: Pedagogical Issues” brings up the point that self-defense may not be always advisable. In fact, physical self-defense may, at times, lead to a greater degree of violence against the victim. However, the article does conclude that physical resistance is much more effective when the potential victim knows what they are doing, which is why self-defense classes can be so helpful.
I think the aspects that SEDOAC’s self-defense class incorporated could be a good solution to the issues that the article brings up. I do see situations where physical self-defense is not advisable, and I think that a self-defense class that also incorporates speaking in an assertive way could be great for this. I think a self-defense class could also benefit from even more exercises analyzing situations rather than just physical reactions.
The other aspect of the self-defense workshop that I think is beneficial for these types of workshops was a solidarity aspect. All of SEDOAC’s events have a solidarity aspect to them, because for many of the women, it is their only opportunity to meet with people in a similar socioeconomic situation to themselves. This workshop allowed all the women to share different experiences they have had that this workshop would be helpful in solving. This seemed to be cathartic, and I think a big part of what SEDOAC does, outside of their activism, is providing a safe space for their members to meet and vent. This is an underrated aspect of what they do, because their activism is so much more visible, but I think it has the most immediate impact on their members, and makes their day-to-day life a bit easier, which is the most important thing that an organization like SEDOAC can do. SEDOAC’s events, including their self-defense workshop, often provide a twist on a very common type of workshop, that creates solidarity for their members and caters the common event to their specific members. This is one of the most unique things SEDOAC does, and a good way to see what the women of the organization need and appreciate, which has helped me in my immersion and research. SEDOAC’s events provide the key into understanding not just the organization, but their members and what they go through as well.
Madden, Margaret E., and Thomas J. Sokol. “Teaching Women Self-Defense: Pedagogical Issues.” Feminist Teacher, vol. 11, no. 2, 1997, pp. 133–151. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40545790.
Such a great post, Siobhan! I love that you took this experience to a new level, thinking about the different ways that self-defense can play out not just in physicality, but in speech and affect. The ability to feel confident and assertive about one’s boundaries is not socially supported for most women, as you point out, but it’s particularly acute in the kind of intersectional situation you’ve been identifying. What does one do when one’s source of income is dependent on accepting harassment? I think the opportunity to share experience is crucial here, as you’ve pointed out. Indeed, second wave feminism in the U.S. was forged through consciousness raising groups (the open discussion of private experiences) and has taken on new form with #metoo. Did the women of SEDOAC discuss #metoo at all? Is it even a thing in Spain? In any case, one of the things that stands out here is the way in which embodiment for women is its own form of resistance — that is, knowing one’s body, feeling one’s body, building one’s body toward strength, and defending one’s body. That’s an important discovery and one I hope SEDOAC continues to explore.