With heightened fears around women's safety and 41% of women taking steps to protect themselves from assault, Amelia Tait reports on the rise of self-defence kits and classes 

Inside the murky self-defence industry booming on TikTok

41% of women now take steps to protect themselves from assault, up from 32% percent in 2018

Glamorising these self-defence objects can make them seem cool and desirable, rather than emblematic of state failures

These products are booming at a time when the government is rolling back funding to support victims of gender-based violence

Glamorising self-defence kits makes them seem desirable, rather than emblematic of government failures.

Self-defence gadgets for women are in greater demand than ever before. But are they the answer to protect us?