National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month FREE Self Defense Classes for Women and Girls

LOS ANGELES - April 17, 2013 - PRLog -- "Together, our Nation is moving forward in the fight against sexual assault. This month, let us keep working to prevent violence in every corner of America, and let us rededicate ourselves to giving survivors the bright future they deserve." - President Barack Obama

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. This is the month we speak out with even greater urgency about sexual assault, to honor survivors and prevent sexual assault.

We see rape in the news nearly every day. We've heard the disturbing statistics: 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetimes. That translates to 18 million women in the U.S. And every 2 minutes a woman is sexually assaulted in this country. The majority of sexual assaults occur to women under the age of 25, and those under the age of 18 are at the greatest risk.

The statistics are disturbing, yet they don't tell the whole story. They don’t talk about what happen to a woman that has been raped. They don't talk about the traumas, the breakdowns, the suicidal feelings, the nightmares, the PTSD, and the constant fear that millions of women experience. And they don’t talk about the courage rape survivors demonstrate when they work every day to piece their lives back together.

Every April for the past 8 years, SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System (http://www.shieldselfdefense.com) has partnered with various entities to provide FREE self defense training for women and girls to honor survivors and prevent sexual violence. We see first hand how women work hard putting their lives back together after being sexually assaulted.  Through our self defense training, they push through their comfort zones to reclaim their bodies and regain their power. We see this again and again in class.

This year, we are partnering with LA County Department of Public Health, City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women, Glendale Community College, Glendale Police, Santa Monica Police Activities League, and UCLA/Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center to provide FREE self defense classes for women and girls in the community.

Schedule of FREE classes (http://www.shieldselfdefense.com/Self_Defense_Classes.php):

April 2, 2013 from 11:00am to 2:00pm

At Grand Park, Downtown Los Angeles

LA County Employees “Creating Healthy Workplace”

April 3, 2013 @ 6:00pm to 8:30pm

At City of Glendale Recreation Center

Glendale Commission on the Status of Women

April 4, 2013 @11:00am to 2pm

At Olvera Street, Los Angeles

LA County Department of Public Health - HEALTH EXPO

April 10, 2013 @6:00pm to 8:30pm

At Glendale Community College

Glendale Commission on the Status of Women

April 17, 2013 @6:00pm to 8:30pm

At Glendale Police Department

Glendale Commission on the Status of Women

April 24, 2013 @6:00pm to 9:00pm

At Santa Monica Police Activities League

UCLA/Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center

Sojourn battered women shelter

All self defense classes are open FREE for women and girls. For futher info, please visit:

http://www.shieldselfdefense.com