Attitude is Self Defense

Attitude is Self-Defense is a participatory workshop that redefines women’s safety beyond individual responsibility and reframes it as a collective, community-driven practice. Developed in collaboration with the Women Supporting Women group at SVA, the project combines self-defense training with real-life storytelling, facilitated discussion, and care-centered activities to create a safe space for sharing experiences and building mutual support.

Through this workshop, participants moved from viewing safety as a personal burden to understanding it as a shared social responsibility, where connection, intuition, and collective awareness become key forms of protection. The project explores how design can foster emotional safety, empower voices, and cultivate “sisterhood” as an active support system, ultimately proposing that attitude, defined as boundary-setting, confidence, and presence, is at the core of self-defense.