One afternoon, as Fatema was heading home from school after a tough day, she overheard some boys making offensive comments behind her.
Little did they know that Fatema was trained in taekwondo. She confronted them with a few taekwondo moves, and the situation was never repeated.
Fatema Islam, a national athlete who has won multiple gold medals in various national events, began her taekwondo journey in February 2018.
Her mother encouraged her to learn martial arts for self-defence.
Reflecting on her journey, Fatema said: “When I started, I didn’t have a clear goal; now I’m working as an instructor.” She is now a black belt holder and competes at the national level.
“I believe taekwondo is a way to build self-confidence. Before starting taekwondo, I didn’t feel as safe as I do now.
“My teachers helped me gain that confidence.”
According to a UN study, girls and children were victims of 60% of sexual assaults in 2020-21 alone.
Experts suggest that martial arts can be an effective means of self-defence against such assaults.
A study by Jocelyn A Hollander, a professor at the University of Oregon, found that women who participate in self-defence training are less likely to experience sexual assault and are more confident in their ability to resist assault compared to women who have not taken such classes.
The study also showed that women who undergo self-defence training are more likely to recognize and report an attempted assault.
“I believe learning martial arts is crucial for every girl, as verbal and physical harassment hasn’t stopped. To protect oneself, taekwondo or any martial art is essential,” Fatema emphasized.
In addition to taekwondo, karate and judo are other popular martial arts in Bangladesh.
Girls can take judo classes at the Women’s Complex in Dhanmondi for an admission fee of just Tk500.
There are several martial arts training centers across the capital and throughout Bangladesh.
Fatema dreams of representing Bangladesh in the Olympics one day. Her favorite athlete is Turkish taekwondo practitioner Kübra Dağlı.
Currently, Fatema is studying at Ideal College in Dhanmondi. Although she used to play football back in Comilla, her practice has decreased since she moved to Dhaka.
