By Dr Dawn Malotane- Lindsey Executive Summary Gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most urgent global challenges, affecting 1 in 3 women worldwide. Beyond the individual trauma, GBV extracts heavy social and economic costs, draining an estimated 2% of global GDP annually (World Bank, 2019). Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) has emerged as one of the few prevention interventions backed by randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence, consistently showing reductions in se

A White Paper on Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD), the Role of Men—Past, Present, and Future By Dr Dawn Malotane Lindsey Executive Summary This white paper argues that engaging men is essential to realizing the full promise of Empowerment Self‑Defense (ESD). Historically, men have been gatekeepers of safety norms and, at times, drivers of harm; today, evidence shows men can be powerful partners in prevention, as bystanders, coaches, peers, fathers, and community leaders. Positi

Who Benefits When We Share Rather than Compete? Executive Summary ESD teachers and practitioners often operate in silos, competing for limited funding, recognition, or reach. Yet, sharing knowledge, resources, data, and best practices can amplify impact. This paper makes the case that sharing: Helps practitioners learn, avoid duplication, improve quality, raise credibility. Strengthens the ESD ecosystem by building shared infrastructure, accelerating innovation, improving sca

By Dr. Dawn Lindsey Executive summary Social media and trauma-informed spaces are meant to uplift resilience. Yet they often do the opposite. On one side, those who go public with their trauma do so with courage and advocacy in mind—sharing painful truths to raise awareness, prevent harm, and help others feel less alone. But instead of being embraced, many survivors are dismissed, accused of “seeking attention,” or ignored altogether. On the other side, those of us with deepe

Why the erosion of legal protections means women are not safe from bedrooms to bathrooms — and how Empowerment Self-Defense can help...

White Paper: Safety in Numbers Author: Dr. Dawn Lindsey Executive Summary Youth-involved violence in schools has reached crisis levels...

1.Executive Summary The exponential growth of digital threats—cyberbullying, exposure to pornography, youth suicide, and sex...

Why I Refuse to Abandon Ship Executive Summary Across the United States, nonprofit leaders are resigning or being pushed out at record...

Over 30 children, aged 4–14, participated in an energetic outdoor class where they discovered how to: Use their voices to set boundaries...