Culturally appropriate services for SA victims of domestic violence
Culturally appropriate services for SA victims of domestic violence
Why this petition matters
For years, South Asian women's health and social issues have been severely neglected, dominated by the patriarchal and dominating nature of the communities they have grown up in. Honour killing, forced marriage, acid attacks, female genital mutilation and sexual violence include some of the many forms of social injustice, endangering their health and well-being with very limited action implemented against this.
Domestic violence stands as another, that is becoming far too common in households. Statistics Canada reported that among visible minorities, South Asian women stand as one of the highest groups experiencing intimate partner violence since the age of 18, back in 2018 (Cotter, 2021).
The number of under-reporting domestic violence cases by South Asian women however, is most concerning, where women conceal their abuse for the sake of reputation and are therefore put at greater risk of experiencing additional health issues, physically and mentally.
Furthermore, physicians are not equipped to deal with such challenging circumstances and choose to treat cases medically, refraining from intervening in “family matters” (Niaz et al., 2017).
Despite existing intervention frameworks for victims of domestic violence, tailoring prevention strategies for South Asian women is critical considering their unique needs and challenges. Encouraging women to seek support is far more complex in these communities and requires a thorough understanding from those leading organizations and support services.
THEREFORE:
Our goal, is to fight for justice of South Asian women and reduce these escalating numbers of domestic violence by reaching 500+ signatures, along with our pitch to premier Doug Ford in supporting with funding in devising tailored services for South Asian women. To encourage Ontario from deviating away from a sole reliance on western practice, we will advocate for a facility exclusive to SA women who are victims of domestic violence, represented by SA women with the appropriate knowledge equipped to help these women heal through their trauma and seek a resource before reaching extremely adverse consequences.
Please visit our website, The Himmat Project, for further information and for an online community designed to keep women connected.