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“The need is to focus on addressing the deeply entrenched mindsets that cause women to be treated unfairly.”
Ishita Sharma (Founder &
Managing Trustee, MukkaMaar)
“Fight for yourself. You don’t need anyone else to protect yourself. Only YOU can protect yourself,” preaches Ishita Sharma every day while training hundreds of girls. Ishita runs MukkaMaar, a Mumbai-based NGO that trains girls of 6th, 7th and 8th standard in different forms of martial art, self-defence techniques, and mental strength exercises. through a 3-year, bi-weekly free training program.
In 2022, nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes committed against women were received by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the highest since 2016. These heart-wrenching numbers clearly question the safety and security measures of India. So, what’s the solution? Is relying on authorities to make stringent laws would help? Is pinning hopes on the current security system would help? Although, a number of initiatives have been launched by the government, bringing an overall change seems like a prolonged process.
Self-defence is the ultimate protector. For many, learning self-defence stays at the bottom of the list but having the ability to physically stand up for yourself is quite important. Self-defence makes women more empowered, resilient, and powerful. “MukkaMaar works on the premise that each girl has a unique strength to fight and navigate conflicting situations that may arise throughout her life,” says Ishita.
What Made Ishita Incept MukkaMaar?
Ishita Sharma is a feminist, an actor, and a martial artist. She is known for her appearance in the drama series Shaka Laka Boom Boom and movies like ‘Loins of Punjab Presents.’
Ishita had practised Kathak for almost a decade and Martial Arts for three to four years. The thought of laying the foundation of MukkaMaar came into her mind when she saw a documentary based on the horrific rape of a 5-year-old Gudiya. The documentary left her wholly shaken, and she decided to rise and do her bit at that moment. And that’s how the foundation of MukkaMaar was laid in Jan 2016.
“Everybody says that we should keep girls and women safe. While that is important, we equally need to understand that we also need to empower the girls so that they don’t need to rely on others to keep them safe,” says Ishita.
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