Grace* (name changed for privacy) is a 14-year old female student who enrolled in the No Means No program implemented by ECR Zambia. She enjoys the program and recently found herself in the position of needing to use the skills she learned. Here is her story, in her own words, as told to an interviewer from ECR Zambia.
“My name is Grace and I'm from Zambia and I am 14 years old. I do enjoy the No Means No program because it teaches a girl-child how to defend herself from attacks. I learned that rules that we set on ourselves on how we want to be treated by other people are boundaries, and I have learnt some new skills [like] how to defend myself from attacks.
I have used the ‘sidestomp’. It was a day, around 18:00 hours, when my mom sent me to the market, then I find [sic] three boys on their way home. Then those boys, one of them called me; I refused. Then they started following me and the other one holded [sic] me by my wrists. Then I ask that boy, ‘Why are you holding me? Do I know you?’. Then the boy said ‘You are daft? You aren’t even answering!’. Then I said ‘Do you want me to keep quiet?’. Then I remembered one of the skills that they taught at No Means No. Then I used the side stomp: I lifted my leg up high and I stepped on the attacker's foot with real force. After that I went home and I told my mom about the whole story. We found where I saw them, and there were no people.
I have told my friends about what happens at No Means No. They teach about physical skills, boundaries, the role of the voice, and secondary targets that you can use to hit on the attacker.”
