Domestic and Family Violence is emerging as a major area of concern within the South Asian community in Western Sydney. Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, including newly arrived migrants and refugees, face specific barriers in accessing services.
Barriers include:
• social isolation
• language and communication difficulties
• financial dependence
• the impact of immigration status on service eligibility
• fear that they will not be able to remain in Australia if they leave a violent relationship, and
• the inftuence of family and community attitudes.
With funding support provided through a City of Parramatta Council Community Grant, SEVA is conducting community consultation to facilitate the Research and Development of a Joint Strategy to address Domestic Violence within the South Asian Community. The aim of this consultation is to engage leaders of various South Asian community groups and service providers to explore current issues faced within the South Asian community.
The consultation will enable the sharing of experiences and innovative practices and initiatives currently being employed so that we can learn from each other, improve service delivery models, identify gaps and challenges and identify how we can work together to collectively make a signiftcant reduction in domestic and family violence within the South Asian community.
The development of a Joint Strategy will better reftect community needs and provide an integrated and whole of community approach. This Strategy will also enable Council, State and Federal governments to better identify unmet needs within the community and formulate interventions that will provide the greatest impact and best long term outcomes for the South Asian community.