In Kenya

Kenya -- Karate expert Duncan Bomba yells instructions at 200 Kenyan schoolgirls watching in amazement as he ferociously attacks a colleague posing as a rapist.

With their navy and white school uniforms, tightly braided hair and socks pulled up to their knees, two girls coyly attempt the moves as Bomba takes on the role of attacker.

Fending him off, the girls draw raucous applause and laughter from their friends.

In a country where activists say one woman is raped every half hour, a growing number of Kenyan women and young girls are learning to defend themselves against assault.

Although hard to quantify, rape is common in Kenya, from Nairobi's unsafe slums to the country's unlit country roads. Only a fraction of women report sexual assaults due to intense cultural stigma and a tradition of blaming the victim. But stories of young girls being raped -- many by their own family members -- still dominate local newspapers. One report in 2003 by local and foreign aid agencies said rape and other sexual attacks had increased fourfold since 1999.

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