Surrey Police Service offering free self-defence workshops for women
Six female officers with Surrey Police Service are volunteering their off‑duty hours to run EmpowerHer, a series of free self‑defence sessions for local women. The Surrey Police Service offering free self-defence workshops for women is open to participants age 16 and older, with plans to expand across Surrey in 2026.
In 2025, the team delivered workshops to groups including Surrey Renegades Girl’s Softball, the Guildford Islamic Cultural Centre, the Sikh Women’s Club, City of Surrey staff and Surrey Libraries. In total, 67 women took part, and SPS hopes to reach many more in the coming year.
Building skills, not fear
Sergeant Cindy Vance, who presented the program to the Surrey Police Board on Dec. 18, says the officers drew inspiration from a similar initiative at the Vancouver Police Department. She explains that the SPS team members are not martial arts gurus, but front‑line officers who want to share what they have learned on the job.
The workshops focus on situational awareness, basic self‑defence moves and clear information about the Criminal Code. Women practise simple, repeatable techniques they can use if they ever face a violent encounter, whether that is a sexual assault or another kind of attack.
EmpowerHer aims to strengthen confidence and community
Vance stresses that EmpowerHer is about mindset as much as muscle memory. She wants participants to leave knowing their rights, trusting their instincts and believing their lives are worth defending. She says one of the most rewarding moments is watching someone arrive timid and walk out two hours later standing taller.
Board member Bilal Cheema called EmpowerHer a “beautiful” program and urged SPS to host larger, mixed‑community sessions that bring together women from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Vance welcomed the idea, saying she envisions city‑wide events where women can train side by side, regardless of where they come from.
Next steps: schools and bigger sessions
The EmpowerHer team plans to work with school liaison officers to bring the Surrey Police Service offering free self-defence workshops for women into high schools and other youth spaces. Word of mouth has already driven interest, and Vance says outreach has not been a challenge so far.
Police board members encouraged SPS to keep pushing beyond community “silos” and ensure women in every neighbourhood hear about the program. Anyone interested in hosting or attending a session can find more details through surreypolice.ca/empowerher, where future workshop dates and registration information will be posted.
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