SAWO Goals & Strategies

South Asian Women’s Organizations generally have three goals – organizing SA women, ending domestic violence in the SA community, and community education. Although agencies may primarily emphasize one of these goals, the three goals are, in fact, highly interlinked.

Organizing: As pointed out previously on this blog, SA women had been marginalized both by mainstream women’s organizations and by SA organizations in the US. SAWOs believe that bringing women together and providing a space in which their experiences are heard and valued empowers SA women to fight for issues that are of importance to them (such as immigration reform or social services).

Ending domestic violence: An important goal of many SAWOs is ending DV in the community, and they attempt to address the problem at the macro- and micro-level. At the macro-level, they have tackled the problem at three levels – legislation, legal enforcement, and legal assistance. At the legislative level, for instance, by joining coalitions that fight for immigrant and women’s rights, SAWOs have been instrumental in getting laws like the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed; this allows, under certain circumstances, abused women to apply for their own residency. SAWO members have also worked with law enforcement officials, such as police officers and legal professionals, to help them better respond to SA women in need. This involves cultural sensitivity training, combating stereotypes, and increasing awareness of the nuances of SA marriages (explaining arranged marriage, dowry, etc.). In court, SAWO members occasionally function as expert witnesses on SA culture or act as neutral interpreters. Finally, SAWOs often provide legal assistance by helping clients find lawyers or by finding other ways to find and pay for legal advice. [It must be noted that they often conduct similar workshops or perform similar roles with medical professionals too, to help them better meet the medical needs of abused SA women.]

At the micro-level, SAWOs have helped victims of DV by managing hotlines, organizing support groups, and providing emergency housing and financial assistance. SAWO members (often volunteers) work directly with women in need – they help them find lawyers and doctors, and earn or convert educational qualifications. They assist clients in finding job training and helping them in the job search, and they provide information, informal counseling, and legal advocacy. In this hands-on manner, SAWOs have helped many thousands of women over the years and contributed to ending DV in their community.

Community Education: In addition to working with other agencies and providers, and working directly with clients, SAWOs work within their communities to increase awareness of women’s rights and domestic violence. They set up informational booths at community events, organize talks at schools, workplaces, and religious centers, and publicize their work and mission in the local media. Their activities have urged the SA community to recognize DV as a real problem that exists within their community.

It is clear that SAWOs fill a unique and important space in the community by serving the unique needs of SA immigrant women. In a variety of ways, these organizations empower SA women, contribute to the SA community, and play a role in the larger movement to end DV.

[For more information, see: Abraham, M. (1995). Ethnicity, Gender, and Marital Violence: South Asian Women’s Organizations in the United States. Gender & Society, 9(4), 450-468].