South Asian groups work to break cultural, religious stigmas around domestic violence

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nn(RNS) — In a survey of nearly 500 South Asian immigrants in the U.S., nearly half (48%) reported experiencing physical domestic violence in their lifetime, according to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and cited by survivor advocacy organization South Asian SOAR.And physical violence is only one form of abuse South Asian immigrants, both men and women, report experiencing at home. Nearly four in 10 say they have experienced emotional abuse (38%), more than one-third report economic abuse (35%). Other commonly reported forms of domestic abuse include verbal (27%), immigration-related (26%), in-laws related (19%), and sex abuse (11%).
Bringing attention to the pervasive issue of domestic abuse within the South Asian diaspora has been the focus of an increasing number of survivor advocacy organizations, with many of them founded and run by South Asians, who argue the cultural context is important for understanding, addressing and preventing domestic abuse. Ultimately, they believe ending intimate partner violence in the South Asian diaspora must happen from within.
“When I hear about other women’s stories or children’s stories, it affects me a lot,” said Shachi Srivastava, an immigrant from India based in Atlanta. “Thinking about them, even though I don’t have any connection with them, I feel like it is our duty to help.”
At an art show titled “Unsung Unseen: Stories of Hope, Courage, Resilience” hel …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]