In my personal safety courses, I put the emphasis on avoiding situations, taking early evasive action and where necessary using escape skills.

Personal Safety for Women
Many women feel vulnerable from time to time - perhaps when travelling alone; when their car breaks down; at work; when there are difficulties in a relationship or within the home. Physical self defence may not come naturally to a lot of women, but self defence is as much a state of mind as it is do with body strength. "You don't have to be an aggressive person, but it is important to be aware of your surroundings, think ahead and avoid hazardous situations. The physical aspect of self defence is always to be considered a last resort, to be used when you have no other option but to defend yourself."