Following the launch of the Guardian Girls Karate Project in Los Angeles in 2022 and a successful activity there in 2023, a karate seminar specially designed for women’s self-defence took place on March 1 in New York City, organised by the USA Karate Federation, with the collaboration of the World Karate Federation (WKF).

The seminar, which was led by WKF-certified instructor Cheryl Murphy, focused on physical and mental awareness, reinforcing karate as a tool for personal empowerment and safety, and offering essential, practical skills to overcome situations where women's well-being is put at risk.

Through this unique and impactful training, participants from Virginia, New York, California, and Mali had the opportunity to develop confidence and foster resilience to recognise, prevent, and respond to different forms of violence, thus reinforcing the importance of self-defence education for women in all communities.

Created by the World Karate Federation (WKF), the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Guardian Girls Global Karate Programme is a gender-based violence prevention initiative designed to promote gender equality and empower women and girls through the discipline of karate.

The session empowered women and teens from different backgrounds, emphasising not only physical skills, but also mental resilience.