The article presents main assumptions about self-defence, particularly trainings aimed at educating women, with special focus on actions initiated by the City Guard in Toruń. The Jestem bezpieczna [I Am Safe] self-defence courses for women, organized since 2006, are an important element in strengthening individual security of female residents of Toruń. Although at times such courses are subject to criticism, they have their undeniable advantages, which are specified in this article.

Constitutional right of an individual to the protection of freedom and human rights and shaping individual safety – interdisciplinary approach to the problem

The obligations of the state towards people and citizens are included in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, those concerning security in Art. 5. However, this document does not clearly define the essence of this concept. The aim of the article is to show the need to include it in the basic law. The analysis of legal acts, literature in the field of security, state and law, and own research shows that society needs an unambiguous definition of terms. Of course, it was emphasized that the clarification of the definition of security in the Polish Constitution is not a simple challenge, as it cannot be formulated in absolute terms. However, an attempt can be made to analyze the subjective and objective approach to the problem. The need to look at individual security through the prism of development and the use of individual opportunities in the light of the common good protected by law has been demonstrated.

Freedom from fear is one of the four freedoms (along with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want) that President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented first to the US Congress on 6 January 1941, and later to the entire world in the fight against Germany, Italy and Japan. They covered all areas of human life, guaranteeing security in the private and family spheres, in public life and in relations with other people and, above all, with any authority (especially the State). These freedoms became the basis of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed on 10 December 1948, and other national and international documents. Freedom from fear has become a symbol of the protection of human rights and a guarantee of a safe life for every person everywhere in the world. The vast majority of conflicts in the world originate within national borders and their main victims are innocent civilians. States have a primary duty to protect everyone. They must create strong security instruments to prevent a repetition of the crimes of the Second World War. The quest for universal and individual security is constantly intertwined with new threats that grow with the development of civilisation, in particular through the evolution of technology and information. Today, we are also confronted with various aggressors - bandit states, cruel terrorists and populist governments on the verge of enslavement and incitement to violence. Education, cooperation, human rights and shared responsibility for others build respect for every human being - not only fellow citizens, but other people from distant parts of the global village. This shared responsibility began in the Congress of the United States of America on 6 January 1941.