Training in Self-Defense Options

Welcome to WomenStrength!  WomenStrength is a program of the Portland Police Bureau.  Since 1979, we have provided free self-defense classes and personal safety workshops to people around the Portland area.  We have taught self-defense skills to approximately 30,000 women and teenage girls, and personal safety workshops to over 100,000 women and men.

WomenStrength has one paid staff member, program director Sara K. Johnson, and about 40 volunteer staff members, who instruct the self-defense classes and fully participate in the creation of curriculum and policy. Many of the volunteer staff are graduates of WomenStrength who had such a good experience with the self-defense class that they decided to volunteer their time to teach it.

>> Annual New Volunteer Instructor Training