The FMA of Bibbiano organize a self-defense course

Bibbiano (Italy). In November 2025, which is the day against violence against women (25 November) the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Bibbiano, in the province of Reggio Emilia, of Our Lady of the Cenacle Province (ILS), organize a free personal defense course for girls and women.

“We had experienced the creation of a short self-defense course during Grest aimed at all animators. Hence the idea of extending this initiative to the territory,” explain the Animator of the Community, Sister Paola Della Ciana, doctor and psychotherapist, and Sister Laura Siani, teacher and educator, who proposed and oversaw the initiative.

“We networked with the Mayor, Equal Opportunity Councilor, and Judo association Uchi Oroshi Judo. The patronage of the Municipality of Bibbiano and the presence of a volunteer instructor have allowed us to offer this opportunity, which will be divided into four meetings starting from November 5th, free of charge. We have thus extended the invitation to girls and women aged 14 and over.

In our territory for years we have participated, with our older students –third grades of Secondary 1 and professional courses – in the event organized by the Municipality on the occasion of the day against violence against women, for which we prepare them with awareness-raising meetings and discussion on the topic.

This initiative adds to our efforts to be close to prevent gender violence by offering concrete support to local women.”

Mary Help of Christians Institute of Bibbiano has 375 pupils and students from nursery to 1^st secondary school and 80 students in vocational courses. It bases its teaching, like all Salesian Schools, on the Preventive System of Don Bosco:

“Since Kindergarten, we educate to respect the other and during the years of primary and secondary school, we intensify a focus on affective education in formal and informal moments: recognizing one’s own feelings and emotions, knowing how to read those of the other, and the consequences of our actions and words towards others.

As FMA, in addition to the preventive dimension, we wanted to propose an event in which there is particular attention to women. The course therefore aims to offer, on our part, closeness to women and to give, in addition to practical defense techniques, support in strengthening awareness of one’s dignity and self-confidence.”

The Course was an immediate and unexpected success, so much so that the Sisters had to limit registrations in order to guarantee the students an adequate outcome:

“Female members have reached around sixty (although requests continue to arrive), of which 30% are from 40 to 50 years old, 25% from 50 to 60, 23% from 25 to 40, 15% from 14 to 24. We were amazed at the great support, which testifies to a growing sensitivity to the issue of defense in a society in which almost every day there are reports of feminicides, extreme consequences of a culture that is degenerating towards increasingly aggressive and violent tones.

There is precisely an urgent need, as Pope Leo reminds us, to ‘disarm words’, but also attitudes and actions, to lay the foundations for a positive construction of relations and peace.”