Women’s Safety and Security Training

Women’s Security Awareness Training (WSST)

Introduction

The Women’s Security Awareness Training (WSST) is a specialized learning program designed to provide women humanitarian workers, women journalists, and women lone travelers with essential practical knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to address security threats and associated risks.

These guidelines set a global standard for WSST delivery, ensuring a consistent and streamlined approach across all locations, whether or not WSST is identified as a mandatory security risk management measure.

The WSST is exclusively facilitated by women security personnel, and only women participants may attend the course.

Aim and Scope

These guidelines outline the decision-making and operational framework for delivering WSST globally. They reflect IASMN recommendations and supersede all previous guidance.

They define:

  • The standard for WSST course structure
  • The process for determining when to implement WSST
  • Management steps for each WSST course
  • Certification process for WSST trainers

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$900 -> $400

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Key Concepts

  • Each WSST course includes seven core modules, delivered over a minimum of two days.
  • For a training to qualify as WSST, all seven modules must be completed by each participant.
  • The WSST must be delivered face-to-face, instructor-led, ensuring a safe and inclusive learning space for all participants.
  • WSST is a one-time course; no recertification is required.
  • The WSST is facilitated by women, with participation limited to women only.

Core Security Modules & Learning Objectives

Introduction to Security for Women

  • Recognize the importance of the Women’s Security Awareness Training
  • Identify course objectives and expectations
  • Identify different risk profiles
  • Identify local threats to women and know how to reduce risk

Safer Travel and Commuting

  • Recognize the importance of preparation prior to domestic and international travel
  • Apply key security measures when traveling and commuting

Responding to Sexual Harassment

  • Recognize what constitutes sexual harassment in public spaces
  • Outline response options and available internal and external support services
  • Outline policies and procedures of workplace sexual harassment as is reasonability applicable without specialist support.

Violence Against Women

  • Recognize the different manifestations of violence against women in the local and cultural context, including domestic abuse.
  • Apply response options when affected by an incident.
  • Recognize support available to an affected person.

Personal Security Awareness

  • Recognize the importance of developing increased personal security awareness techniques.
  • Identify and reduce exposure and vulnerability.
  • Apply tips, tools, and techniques to enhance situational awareness.

Safer Accommodation Arrangements

  • Outline considerations when selecting accommodation or living arrangements.
  • Identify organizational policies and procedures related to accommodation with specific focus on women.
  • Identify, respond, and reduce exposure to vulnerabilities in various living arrangements.

We Deliver Training That Stays With You

Responding to Sexual Harassment in the workplace can only be facilitated by personnel with the appropriate expertise and as outlined by the respective organization’s policies and procedures.

Stress Management can only be facilitated by personnel with the appropriate expertise. It is strongly recommended to have a woman counsellor present to provide complementary sessions on stress management and as appropriate, to help de-brief participants following discussions especially in relation to emotionally sensitive modules if possible, such as violence against women and as Captivity modules.

  • Define types of stress and understand how stress affects women’s personal security.
  • Identify internal and external stress factors that can impact women at different levels.
  • Identify the main coping and resilience mechanisms, and develop an individual self-care plan
  • Feel empowered to request or make changes to one’s environment to reduce stress.

Self-Protection Techniques is useful in all environments. This module can only be delivered based on the availability of personnel with the appropriate expertise who is well experienced in the subject. This instructor must be an individual identified as being well experienced I this subject and prepared to deliver the session focusing on contact management, distance management and de-escalation of a situation to avoid a physical confrontation.

The contents of this session are:

  • Understand the linkage between personal security awareness and self- protection
  • Recognize women’s vulnerable points and their body’s reaction
  • Empower women to be able to use their body for self-protection and to break away from an attack.
De-escalation/Communications in challenging environments may be facilitated as a standalone module or integrated into the course modules as deemed appropriate by the WSST Lead Trainer and respective organization.