ESD Empowered Self Defence (ESD)
Building confidence, agency and safer communities.
What is Empowered Self-Defence?
Empowered Self Defence (ESD) is an evidence-informed approach that helps people build confidence, strengthen personal agency and develop practical skills for navigating the world more safely.
Grounded in empowerment, trauma-informed practice and violence prevention, ESD goes beyond traditional self-defence. It combines education, communication strategies, boundary-setting skills and physical self-defence techniques to help participants recognise risk, respond effectively to challenging situations and feel more confident in their everyday lives.
At its heart, ESD is about supporting people to trust themselves, recognise their strengths and exercise greater choice and control over their safety and wellbeing.
Watch the video below to learn more about ESD.
Why ESD Matters
Gender-based violence remains one of the most significant social and public health challenges facing Australia and communities around the world.
Violence does not occur in isolation. It is influenced by social, cultural and structural factors, including gender inequality, harmful stereotypes, discrimination and unequal power dynamics.
While responsibility for violence always rests with those who choose to use violence, individuals also deserve access to practical skills, knowledge and support that can enhance their confidence, safety and ability to respond to unsafe situations.
ESD forms part of a broader approach to violence prevention by helping participants build personal agency while contributing to safer, more respectful communities.
More Than Self Defence
Empowered Self Defence is about far more than physical techniques.
Participants develop skills that can be applied across many areas of life, including:
- Building confidence and self-belief
- Setting and maintaining healthy boundaries
- Assertive communication
- Recognising coercion, manipulation and warning signs
- Responding to harassment and violence
- Practical verbal and physical self-defence strategies
- Bystander awareness and support
- Help-seeking and safety planning
The goal is not to place responsibility on individuals to prevent violence, but to equip people with tools that can increase confidence, agency and options in situations where safety may be compromised.
Our Approach
Empowerment-Focused
We believe that confidence, agency and self-efficacy are protective factors that support wellbeing and safety.
Trauma-Informed
Our programs prioritise safety, choice, collaboration and empowerment, recognising that participants may have diverse experiences of trauma and adversity.
Evidence-Informed
Our approach draws on research from psychology, public health, violence prevention and empowerment-based self-defence.
Inclusive
We are committed to creating welcoming and accessible programs that meet the needs of diverse individuals and communities.
Contributing to Violence Prevention
ESD complements broader efforts to prevent gender-based violence and create safer communities.
By strengthening confidence, promoting respectful relationships, challenging harmful attitudes and increasing awareness of the dynamics of violence, ESD contributes to prevention at both the individual and community level.
Our programs are delivered in partnership with schools, universities, community organisations and workplaces, helping participants develop skills that support both personal safety and collective wellbeing.
Research and Impact
Birchtree Foundation is committed to strengthening the evidence base for Empowered Self Defence.
Through research partnerships, program evaluation and knowledge sharing, we seek to better understand how empowerment-based approaches can support healing, reduce the impacts of violence and contribute to safer communities.
We believe that effective violence prevention requires both individual empowerment and broader social change. By combining practice, research and advocacy, we are working to create lasting impact.
Bring ESD to Your Community
We partner with schools, universities, workplaces and community organisations to deliver Empowered Self Defence programs tailored to the needs of different groups and settings.
Whether supporting young people, students, community members or workplace teams, our goal is the same: to help people build confidence, strengthen agency and contribute to safer, more respectful communities.
