Taking place in Cowra, Young, Cootamundra, Gundagai and Wagga Wagga, the workshops are part of a rollout across regional NSW thanks to the KYUP! and Office for Regional Youth partnership.

The Cowra workshop will be held on Monday, July 11 from 9am to 11.30am.

Designed to get females of all ages together for a fun but purposeful school holiday activity, the workshops teach basics in self-defence in an environment that will empower young women to believe in themselves.

A fun, physical workshop, at the core of KYUP!'s programs is the need to ensure females know how to value and protect themselves.

Data** shows that in NSW, one in two domestic violence-related assaults occur outside metropolitan Sydney, and with reports* showing that Australians living in regional, rural and remote communities are more likely to experience family and domestic violence than people living in major cities, the regional workshops aim to give girls aged 12 to young women aged 24, the skills they need to build confidence and to defend themselves if necessary.

KYUP! Founder and acclaimed campaigner for women's rights, Mel Thomas, says of the workshops, "Knowing your self-worth and that you can fight to defend yourself if you need to, is fun, safe and incredibly empowering. KYUP! is violence prevention education that goes beyond awareness into strong-hearted action to support our children, and in particular our girls and young women to close the confidence gap and break the cycle of violence at a grassroots level."

Some shocking stats which highlight the urgent need for workshops of this kind:

Minister for Regional Youth Ben Franklin is a strong supporter of the work being done by KYUP! nationally, and said he is proud to be working with the organisation to bring the workshops to regional NSW.

"Although it is a sad fact that workshops like those offered by KYUP! are a necessity for Australian women, the truth is that regional centres desperately need this type of empowering initiative to ensure our women and girls know their worth and know how to champion their own safety."

Run by Mel Thomas, a champion black belt and domestic abuse survivor, KYUP! workshops give participants the tools and skills they need to value their safety and well-being, by boosting confidence, working with the women to raise their standards of what they will accept, and break the silence on domestic violence."

Register at www.kyupproject.com.au/holidayworkshops

If you are experiencing family or domestic violence or sexual assault or know someone who is, please call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit the 1800RESPECT website.