A new report underscores the unequivocal importance of investing in under-resourced community-based organizations that serve South Asian survivors of gender-based violence.
These organizations are foundational to survivor safety, healing, and recovery, forming the bedrock of the South Asian anti-GBV movement, notes the report by South Asian SOAR a national collective of survivors, 35+ organizations.
Titled “State of the Field,” the report takes note of the pivotal role played by these organizations “in addressing the distressingly high prevalence of GBV within the diverse South Asian diaspora in the US, where survivors grapple with significant challenges and disparities linked to their intersectional identities and backgrounds.”
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Over four decades, more than 40 culturally-specific organizations have emerged to offer essential services, outreach, advocacy, research, and education to South Asian survivors and communities, according to the report.
Noting that they often operate with limited budgets and staff sizes, leading to high turnover and burnout across the field, the report identifies immediate areas for programmatic investment.
While South Asian GBV organizations effectively serve specific demographic groups, including ethnically Indian clients, women, heterosexual individuals, and those aged 24 to 49, there is a noticeable gap in serving marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, younger survivors, and men.
The data also surfaces the imminent need for increased legal, housing, mental health, economic empowerment, and employment services.
To enhance future data collection and analysis efforts, South Asian GBV organizations would benefit from standardizing data collection procedures, including client demographic indicators, client volume metrics, and streamlined intake forms, it says.
Such measures will enable accurate assessments of the…
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