Rose City Self-Defense serves all cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women with a focus on engaging communities of color, people with disabilities, women with unstable housing, and sex workers. We offer separate classes dedicated to all genders and sexualities of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Description
Rose City Self-Defense began in 1979 as WomenStrength, providing empowerment-based self-defense classes and personal safety workshops to people around the Portland metro area. In 2008 the GirlStrength program was added to expand the reach to youth students, grades 4th-12th. After moving within the City of Portland in July of 2022, The Strength Programs was renamed Rose City Self-Defense and now works in conjunction with the Safe Blocks Program under the Community Safety Division. Between 2020 and 2023 the curriculum was revised to better focus on including the most vulnerable members of the Portland community. Since its inception, the program has taught self-defense skills to approximately 40,000 women and girls, and safety workshops to over 110,000 people.
