Category: Franklin Joseph Power to Women Self Defence Articles

Beyond Flowers and Speeches: How Power to Women Self-Defense Training Transforms International Women’s Day 2026 into Lasting Empowerment By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Published: March 8, 2026 | Category: Women’s Empowerment, Corporate Safety, International Women’s Day, Self-Defense Training The Gap Between Celebration and Real Empowerment on Women’s Day Every March 8th, the corporate world lights up with Women’s Day celebrations. Social media fills with empowering messages. Conference rooms are adorned with decorations. Women employees receive flowers, chocolates, and heartfelt appreciation. And then March 9th arrives. The decorations come down. The flowers begin to wilt. And life returns to normal. What has actually changed? What new capability do women carry with them? What lasting transformation has occurred? This is not a criticism of celebration. Celebration matters. Recognition matters. But there is a growing recognition among forward-thinking organisations that International Women’s Day can be more. It can be a day that gives women something permanent, something that stays with them long after the event is over. The Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop is emerging as one of the most powerful ways to bridge the gap between symbolic celebration and genuine, lasting empowerment. Unlike traditional Women’s…

Basic Corporate Self-Defense and Women Emergency State-wise Helplines Resource Guide for International Women’s Day By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Published: March 8, 2026 | Category: Women’s Safety Resources, Emergency Helplines, International Women’s Day, Corporate Self-Defense Guide Table of Contents Why Every Woman Needs Access to Emergency Resources Why Traditional Self-Defense Approaches Fall Short National Emergency Helplines State-Wise Emergency Helplines (A-Z) Andhra Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Bihar Chhattisgarh | Goa | Gujarat | Haryana Himachal Pradesh | Jharkhand | Karnataka | Kerala Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra | Manipur | Meghalaya Mizoram | Nagaland | Odisha | Punjab Rajasthan | Sikkim | Tamil Nadu | Telangana Tripura | Uttar Pradesh | Uttarakhand | West Bengal Union Territories: Andaman | Chandigarh | DNH/Daman | Delhi Union Territories: J&K | Ladakh | Lakshadweep | Puducherry Basic Self-Defense Awareness Principles How Power to Women Methodology Differs What to Do in Different Emergency Situations TEDx Talk: Specialist Franklin Joseph How to Use This Resource Guide About Specialist Franklin Joseph Why Every Woman Needs Access to Emergency Resources and Basic Safety Knowledge International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress, acknowledge challenges, and most importantly, equip women…

International Women’s Day 2026: Why Corporate Self-Defense Workshops Must Address Fear and Insecurity of Women About Size and Strength By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Published: March 8, 2026 | Category: Women’s Safety, Corporate Training, International Women’s Day, Psychological Self-Defense The Unspoken Fear That Undermines Every Women’s Safety Initiative Every year on March 8th, companies around the world celebrate International Women’s Day with flowers, speeches, and social media posts. Conference rooms are decorated. Inspirational quotes are shared. Women employees receive appreciation messages from leadership. All of this is wonderful. Recognition matters. Appreciation matters. But beneath the celebrations, there is a fear that rarely gets addressed directly. It is the fear that lives in the back of every woman’s mind when she walks through a parking lot at night, takes public transport alone, or finds herself in an uncomfortable situation with someone larger and physically stronger than her. That fear whispers: “I am smaller. I am weaker. If something happens, I cannot fight back. I cannot win.” This fear is not irrational. It is based on biological reality. On average, men have 40 to 60 percent greater upper body strength than women. They have denser bones,…

🟣 International Women’s Day 2026 🛡️ International Women’s Day 2026: Power To Women Self-Defence Workshops The New Syllabus Every Women’s Corporate Self-Defence Program Must Include 📅 March 8, 2026 | 🇮🇳 For Every Indian Woman The old syllabus taught women to fight back. The new syllabus must teach women to NEVER be caught off guard — physically, digitally, legally, or psychologically. Presented By Specialist Franklin Joseph Crime Survival Specialist & Founder ⚡ POWER TO WOMEN — Corporate Self-Defence Workshop Empowering Indian women through practical, scenario-based safety training designed for real-world threats — from boardrooms to bus stops, from DMs to dark alleys. “Self-defence is not about teaching women to become fighters. It’s about making sure no one ever treats them as easy targets. The moment a woman carries awareness, confidence, and knowledge — she becomes her own bodyguard.” — Specialist Franklin Joseph, Power To Women Workshop Evolution of Crimes Against Women: Why Traditional Self-Defence Fails 🌙 The Old Threat The Dark Alley 📱 The New Threat The DM Inbox 👤 The Old Stalker Following You on the Street 📍 The New Stalker A Tracking App on Your Phone 🚶 The Old Danger A Stranger in the Night ❤️ The New…

Female Empowerment or Female Fragility? What Your Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Choice Says About How You See Women By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Corporate Women’s Safety Training: Why Tactical Expertise Matters More Than Instructor Demographics Here is something that I have come to understand after decades of working with corporates on women’s safety. Every decision an organisation makes about its women employees sends a message. Sometimes the message is intentional. Sometimes it is not. But the message is always received. When a company invests in leadership development for women, the message is: “We believe in your potential to lead.” When a company promotes equal pay, the message is: “We value your work equally.” When a company provides self-defense training, the message is: “We care about your safety.” But when a company specifies that the self-defense instructor must fit a specific demographic because “women will feel more comfortable,” a different kind of message lands. And it is crucial to examine what that message actually communicates to the workforce. Why Choosing Self-Defense Instructors by Tactical Skill Instead of Gender Produces Stronger Results When a company selects a self-defense instructor based purely on gender rather than tactical expertise,…

Women’s Self-Defense Is Not About Gender. It Is About Surviving Crime. By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Beyond Martial Arts: The Realities of Women’s Safety Training For as long as the conversation around women’s safety has existed, we have managed to make it about everything except the one thing it should be about: the crime itself. We have focused on clothing, curfews, and basic martial arts. Frequently, the debate centers on whether the instructor at the front of the room is a man or a woman. At every turn, the spotlight has been pointed at something peripheral. Meanwhile, the actual mechanics of crime, including the way it works, the psychology behind it, and the patterns that make it predictable, sit quietly unexamined. This post is about redirecting that spotlight. Genuine self-defense is not about learning a few parlor tricks. It is a scientifically designed system focused on how to prevent, avoid, diffuse, and escape crime. When we finally focus on the tactical reality of violence, the demographic of the instructor becomes secondary to their expertise. Planned Crime and Physical Limitations: Why Reactionary Tactics Fall Short Most of the time, people assume self-defense is just about…

Corporate Women’s Self-Defense Workshop: 10 Red Flags That Your Program Is Failing Your Employees By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why Most Corporate Women’s Self-Defense Programs Fail: The Truth Behind Feel-Good Workshops The photographs looked wonderful. Women in active poses. Smiling faces. A nicely designed backdrop with the company logo. The HR team shared the pictures on LinkedIn. Everyone commented. Everyone applauded. The workshop was declared a success. But here is a question that rarely gets asked after a corporate self-defense workshop: Did anyone actually become safer? Not did they enjoy themselves. Not did they take good photos. Not did they feel good for an afternoon. Did they become genuinely, measurably more capable of recognising, avoiding, and surviving a real criminal threat? In most cases, the honest answer is no. And the reason is that most corporate self-defense programs are designed around optics rather than outcomes. They look impressive. They feel empowering. But they are built on foundations that do not hold up when real danger arrives. The Power to Women Self-Defense Workshop was designed to close this exact gap. It was built by merging two critical disciplines that most programs treat as separate worlds:…

Does the Indian POSH Act Require Female Trainers for Women’s Safety Programs? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop POSH Act Trainer Gender Requirement: What the Law Actually Says No. The POSH Act does not require female trainers for women’s safety programs. It does not mention the gender of the trainer at all. Now, let me explain why this matters, why so many companies get it wrong, and what the Act actually does require. POSH Act Training Mandate: Legal Requirements for Awareness Programs and Workshops The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a landmark piece of legislation. It was created to ensure that workplaces are safe for women, that sexual harassment is taken seriously, and that organisations have mechanisms for prevention, redressal, and awareness. Under the Act, employers are required to organise awareness programs and workshops related to workplace safety. This is clearly stated and is a non-negotiable compliance obligation. However, and this is the part that most people miss, the Act specifies what the training should cover and what it should achieve. It does not specify who should deliver it, in terms of gender. The emphasis in the…

What Should You Look For When Hiring a Corporate Self-Defense Instructor? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Corporate Self-Defense Instructor Hiring Guide: The One Decision That Determines Whether Your Employees Become Safer When your company decides to organise a self-defense workshop for women employees, the single most important decision you will make is who conducts it. The instructor determines everything: the quality of the content, the depth of the learning, the lasting impact on participant behaviour, and ultimately, whether your employees are genuinely safer after the workshop or just feel like they are. And yet, in my experience, the selection process at most companies begins and sometimes ends with one question: “Is the instructor female?” That question tells you nothing about training quality. Nothing about content depth. Nothing about the instructor’s understanding of crime. Nothing about whether your employees will walk away with real, usable knowledge or just a pleasant memory and some photographs. This post is a practical guide to what you should actually be asking. Think of it as a hiring checklist, one that focuses on the qualities and qualifications that actually predict whether the training will be effective. The Power to Women…

Why Do Corporates Ask for Female Self-Defense Trainers (And Why It Might Be a Mistake)? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why Companies Request Female Self-Defense Instructors: Understanding the Good Intentions Behind a Flawed Decision Let me begin by acknowledging something genuinely. When corporates ask for a female self-defense instructor, they are almost always acting from a place of care. I have interacted with hundreds of HR teams over the years, and the desire behind this request is consistent: they want their women employees to have a positive experience. They want the workshop to feel welcoming. They want women to participate openly without any hesitation. These are good motivations. And I respect them. But motivations and outcomes are two different things. And sometimes, the road paved with good intentions leads to a destination that is quite different from the one intended. This post is about examining where that road actually goes, and whether there is a better route to the same destination. The Power to Women Self-Defense Workshop was built by merging two critical disciplines that most programs treat as entirely separate: the battle-tested tactical framework of Israeli military Krav Maga self-defense and a deep…

Is Requesting a Female Self-Defense Instructor Considered Workplace Discrimination? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Gender-Based Instructor Selection in Corporate Self-Defense: A Question Most HR Teams Have Never Examined Here is something interesting about the way corporate decisions are made. If an HR team received a hiring request that said “only male candidates for this role,” alarm bells would ring immediately. The DEI team would be notified. Legal would weigh in. The request would be rejected or significantly revised. But when an HR team sends out a training vendor request that says “we prefer a female instructor for our women’s self-defense workshop,” nobody blinks. It goes out as a routine email. The assumption is that this is a thoughtful, employee-friendly decision. The question is: why does the same type of gender-based specification trigger very different reactions depending on the context? And the follow-up question is: should it? I believe the answer is no. And I think once you look at this issue clearly, you will see why. The Power to Women Self-Defense Workshop was built by merging two critical disciplines that most programs treat as entirely separate: the battle-tested tactical framework of Israeli military Krav…

Can Companies Legally Require a Female Instructor for Women’s Self-Defense? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Female-Only Self-Defense Instructor Requirements: A Legal Question Most HR Teams Have Never Examined It starts innocently enough. An HR manager reaches out about a women’s self-defense workshop. The conversation is friendly and productive. Then comes the question: “By the way, is the instructor female? We would prefer a woman for this session.” It is a question I have been hearing more and more often. And I understand where it comes from. There is a genuine desire to make women employees feel comfortable. There is a belief that a female instructor will automatically create a safer and more open learning environment. But behind this well-intentioned preference lies a legal question that most companies have not paused to consider: Can you actually require a specific gender for this job? And if you do, what legal territory are you stepping into? This post is meant to walk through that question thoughtfully. Not to create panic or confrontation, but to give corporate decision-makers the legal awareness they need to make informed choices. Because informed choices are always better choices. The Power to Women…

Advocate for Equality on IWD and then Practise Gender Discrimination in the Self Defence Training By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why Gender Equality in Self-Defence Training Fails After International Women’s Day International Women’s Day is beautiful. Genuinely. The speeches about equality are moving. The social media campaigns are well-produced. The panel discussions feature accomplished women sharing powerful stories. Companies make public commitments to fairness, inclusion, and breaking down barriers. And then the celebrations end. The banners come down. Normal operations resume. And somewhere in the organisation, an email goes out to a training vendor: “For our upcoming women’s safety workshop, we require a female instructor.” The person writing that email is not trying to discriminate. They are trying to be considerate. But the effect of their action is discrimination. It is the exclusion of a professional from a job based purely on gender. And it stands in direct contradiction to everything the company said on March 8th. This is not about blame. It is about consistency. Equality is not a theme for one day. It is a standard for every day. And if that standard does not apply to how you choose your trainers,…

Why Corporate Women’s Self-Defense Training Must Focus on Crime Psychology, Not Instructor Gender By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Three Decades of Studying Crime, Not Comfort Zones I have spent decades studying crime. Not martial arts tournaments. Not fitness trends. Crime. How it happens. Why it happens. Who it happens to. And most importantly, what determines whether someone survives it. And over those decades, I have watched the public conversation around women’s safety go through three phases, each one managing to miss the point in its own creative way. First, we blamed the victim. What was she wearing? Why was she out so late? Why did she go there alone? As if a criminal’s decision to commit a crime was determined by a woman’s wardrobe. This phase was cruel, and thankfully, professional spaces have largely moved past it. Then came the martial arts phase. Companies started booking karate instructors and kickboxing trainers for their women’s safety workshops. Women punched pads, learned combinations, posed for photographs, and went home feeling like they had accomplished something. The problem? Martial arts and crime survival have almost nothing in common. Martial arts operates within rules. Crime has no rules.…

Should the Best Women’s Self-Defense Instructor Might Actually Be a Man: A Crime Psychologist’s Analysis By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why This Title Should Not Be Controversial in 2025 Before you react to the headline, I want you to consider something. If I had written “Should the Best Women’s Self-Defense Instructor Might Actually Be a Woman,” nobody would blink. Nobody would question it. Nobody would think it was provocative. The fact that the reverse feels provocative tells us something about the assumptions we carry. And those assumptions are worth examining, especially if we are in the business of making decisions about women’s safety. This post is not about arguing that men are better instructors than women. That would be just as wrong as arguing the opposite. This post is about one simple idea: the best instructor is the best instructor. Gender has nothing to do with it. And when we let gender become the primary filter, we often end up choosing less effective training for the people who need effective training the most. The Real Skills That Determine Whether a Self-Defense Instructor Can Save Lives Self-defense instruction, real self-defense instruction and not just martial…

The Hidden Bias in Corporate Women’s Safety Workshops: Why Crime Psychology Matters More Than Instructor Gender By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop How Unconscious Bias Hides Inside Well-Intentioned Safety Decisions When people think of workplace bias, they usually picture something obvious. A sexist comment in a meeting. An unequal pay structure. A promotion denied because of gender. These are the kinds of bias that companies train their teams to recognise and eliminate. But bias has quieter forms too. Forms that look so much like care and consideration that nobody thinks to question them. And one of those forms is hiding in plain sight in how many corporates plan their women’s safety workshops. It sounds like this: “We would prefer a female instructor. Our women employees will feel more comfortable that way.” On the surface, this sounds thoughtful. Below the surface, it contains three hidden biases that are worth examining honestly. Bias One: The False Assumption That Women Cannot Learn Self-Defense From Male Professionals The assumption that a female instructor is inherently better suited to teach women carries an unspoken belief: that women cannot learn effectively from a male professional. Think about how this assumption would…

Good Intentions, Bad Policy: Why “Female-Only” Self-Defense Trainer Requirements Fail Women’s Safety By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop When Corporate Care for Women Employees Accidentally Becomes Carelessness About Their Safety There is something quietly happening across corporate India that nobody seems to be questioning. Companies are reaching out for women’s self-defense workshops and, before asking a single question about the program content, the methodology, or the instructor’s qualifications, they ask one thing: “Is the instructor female?” I have been doing this work for decades, and I want to say clearly that I understand the intention. HR teams want their women employees to feel at ease. They want the session to feel welcoming. They picture a female instructor and assume that will automatically create a more comfortable space. The intention is caring. The policy, however, is problematic. And it is worth understanding why. Why Comfort-Driven Self-Defense Policies Contradict the Purpose of Crime Survival Training Think about what a self-defense workshop is supposed to achieve. It is supposed to prepare women for real danger. Real danger that is, in the vast majority of cases, going to come from a man. Now think about the policy behind the…

Self-Defense Training Is About Surviving Crime, Not About Which Gender Teaches It: A Crime Psychologist’s Complete Guide By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why Corporates Ask About Instructor Gender But Never Ask About Crime Psychology Here is what I have noticed over the years. When corporates plan a women’s self-defense workshop, a lot of time and energy goes into logistics. The venue, the schedule, the refreshments, the photographer for social media posts, and increasingly, the gender of the instructor. You know what rarely comes up in the initial conversation? The crime. The actual reason the workshop exists in the first place. Nobody asks: “What type of crimes will this workshop prepare our employees for?” Nobody asks: “How does your program address the psychology of criminal behaviour?” Nobody asks: “What happens when fear takes over and a person freezes?” Instead, the questions are: “Can you send photos of past workshops?” and “Do you have a female trainer?” This is not a criticism. It is an observation. And I share it because I believe that when companies understand what self-defense training is really about, they naturally start asking the right questions. And those questions have nothing to…

Equality on IWD Stage, Discrimination Behind the Scenes: What Corporate Self-Defense Hiring Gets Wrong About Women’s Day By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop The Stage vs. The Backstage: What Corporate Decisions Reveal About Real Gender Equality International Women’s Day has become one of the most widely celebrated occasions in the corporate world. Companies host keynote sessions. They share stories of women leaders. They run campaigns with hashtags about breaking barriers, shattering glass ceilings, and choosing equality. On stage, the message is clear: women are equal. Women are capable. Women deserve the same opportunities as men. But behind the scenes, in the procurement emails and vendor selection meetings, a different kind of decision is often being made. A decision that says: “For the women’s self-defense workshop, we need a female instructor only.” This is the gap between what we say and what we do. And I believe it is worth closing. Not with criticism, but with conversation. Why Gender-Based Instructor Selection Undermines the Purpose of Women’s Safety Training Some might feel that this is a small issue. After all, the company is just trying to make participants comfortable. What is the harm? The harm is subtle,…

International Women’s Day, Ask Yourself: Is Demanding a Female Self-Defense Instructor Empowerment or Gender Bias? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defence Workshop Why Good Intentions in Women’s Self-Defence Training Can Backfire Let me start with something I genuinely believe. Every corporate HR team that has ever asked me for a female self-defense instructor has done so with good intentions. They care about their women employees. They want them to feel safe and supported. And that care is real. But good intentions, when built on unexamined assumptions, can lead us somewhere we did not mean to go. And the assumption we need to examine here is this: that a woman can only learn self-defense from another woman. Let us sit with that assumption for a moment and ask ourselves where it leads. If we believe a woman cannot handle learning from a male instructor in a safe, supervised, professional environment, what are we really saying about her? Are we empowering her? Or are we, without meaning to, reinforcing the idea that she is too fragile to engage with a man, even in a classroom? Why Self-Defence for Women Is More Than Just Learning Physical Tricks Most people,…

International Women’s Day Celebrates Equality. So Why Does “Female-Only” Self-Defense Hiring Defy POSH, BFOQ, DEI, and the Constitution? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defence Workshop The Celebration and the Contradiction: When Women’s Day Values Clash with Hiring Practices Every year on March 8th, corporates across India and the world celebrate International Women’s Day. The speeches are inspiring. The social media posts are beautifully designed. The themes are powerful: Break the Bias. Inspire Inclusion. Accelerate Action. Choose to Challenge. And then, a few weeks later, someone from the same company sends out an email to a self-defense training provider that says: “Please confirm that the instructor will be female. We prefer a woman trainer for our women employees.” I want to be very gentle with this observation, because I know the intention is good. But the contradiction is real, and it is worth talking about. Because International Women’s Day is, at its heart, about equality. And specifying that only a person of a particular gender can perform a job is, by definition, not equality. Why Self-Defence for Women Is Far More Than Learning Physical Tricks Most people, including many well-meaning corporate HR teams, assume that self-defence training…

POSH Act Compliance: Does Your Women’s Safety Trainer Need to Be Female? By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defence Workshop The Self-Defence Trainer Gender Question Every Corporate HR Team Should Be Asking If you work in human resources, compliance, or corporate training, you have probably heard this conversation at least once. Someone on the team says, “We need to organise a self-defense workshop for our women employees. Let us make sure we get a female instructor.” The room nods. It sounds thoughtful. It sounds considerate. And no one questions it further. But here is the thing. The POSH Act, which is likely the very reason your company is organising this training, does not actually require the trainer to be female. In fact, if you read the Act carefully, you might find that insisting on a gender-specific instructor could actually work against the spirit of the law your company is trying to follow. This is not about blame or finger-pointing. This is about understanding the law properly so that your compliance efforts are genuinely effective and legally sound. What the POSH Act Actually Says About Self-Defence Trainer Requirements and Gender The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,…

Vendor Procurement Laws: The Hidden Legal Trap of Gender-Specific Hiring By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defence Workshop The Procurement Email That Should Make Every Corporate Legal Team Pause Somewhere in India right now, a corporate procurement team is drafting an email that reads something like this: “We are looking for a female self-defense instructor for our upcoming women’s safety workshop. Please confirm if you have a female trainer available.” It sounds professional. It sounds considerate. And most people would read that email without a second thought. But here is what that email actually does. It sets a gender-based criterion for a professional engagement. It tells a qualified service provider that their expertise, experience, credentials, and methodology are secondary to their biological sex. And it creates a documented record of a procurement decision based on gender. For companies that pride themselves on fair procurement practices, transparent vendor selection, and compliance with anti-discrimination laws, this is a conversation worth having. Why Self-Defence for Women Requires Crime Science, Not Just Physical Tricks Before we examine the legal dimensions of gender-based vendor selection, it is essential to understand why this conversation matters beyond procurement policy. Most people assume that self-defence…

The DEI Dilemma: When “Safe Spaces” Cross Into Gender Discrimination By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Corporate DEI Policies vs Gender-Based Hiring Practices in Safety Training Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Three words that every modern corporation takes seriously. DEI policies are developed with care, reviewed by legal teams, communicated to all employees, and displayed proudly on company websites and annual reports. And rightly so. These principles represent some of the most important progress workplaces have made in recent decades. But here is a tension that very few people are willing to talk about. What happens when the desire to create a “safe space” for one group of employees leads to a decision that discriminates against a professional based on their gender? What happens when DEI, in practice, contradicts DEI in principle? This is exactly what happens when a company specifies that a self-defense instructor for women must be female. Why Comfort-Based Training Environments Fail Women in Real Crisis Situations The concept of a safe space has real value. In therapy, in support groups, in certain clinical contexts, creating an environment where people feel psychologically secure is essential for healing and growth. Nobody disputes that. But…

Rethinking Workplace Equality: The Irony of “Female-Only” Instructor Requests By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why Corporate DEI Policies Contradict Gender-Based Instructor Requests I have spent decades training women in corporate environments across India. I have worked with companies of all sizes, across all industries, and I have seen the genuine care that organisations put into their women’s safety initiatives. That care is real, and it is something I deeply appreciate. But I have also noticed an irony that has been growing over the past few years, and I think it deserves an honest conversation. The very companies that champion workplace equality, that run campaigns against gender bias, that celebrate breaking stereotypes, and that invest heavily in diversity and inclusion programs are increasingly making one very specific request when it comes to self-defense training: “Can you send a female instructor?” In other words, companies that publicly fight against gender-based discrimination are privately practising it, in the very act of trying to empower women. The Hidden Messages Behind Female-Only Instructor Requirements Let us unpack what this request actually communicates, even if unintentionally: To the male professional: Your decades of expertise, your specialised knowledge in crime psychology,…

How to Hire a Corporate Self-Defense Expert Without Violating Your DEI Policy By Specialist Franklin Joseph | Power to Women Corporate Self-Defense Workshop Why DEI Compliance Extends to Training Vendor Selection Every year, I see more corporates investing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. DEI committees are formed. Policies are drafted. Town halls are conducted. And rightly so. These efforts matter. But here is something that often goes unnoticed. The very same companies that have robust DEI policies sometimes send out vendor requirement emails that read something like this: “We are looking for a female self-defense instructor for our women employees.” On the surface, this looks thoughtful. It looks like the company cares about the comfort of its women employees. And I have no doubt that the intention behind it is genuine. But let us take a step back and look at this through the lens of your own DEI policy. Because if your policy says you do not discriminate based on gender in hiring, that principle should extend to how you engage trainers, consultants, and service providers as well. Otherwise, the policy has a blind spot. And blind spots, however well-intentioned, can become liabilities. Indian Laws Governing Gender-Neutral Professional Engagement…