Women: Awareness is needed to tackle domestic violence in the South Asian community in Christchurch - Sahaayta

(caption for the above picture: Uniting against domestic violence in the South Asian community in South Island)

The monthly meeting of a recently-launched coffee club to deliberate ideas for women empowerment among the South Asian community in the South Island has highlighted the need for generating awareness against domestic violence across the region.

An initiative of Christchurch-based Indian Cultural Group and Auckland-based community organisation based in Manukau, Sahaayta, the meeting also had women speakers to talk about women issues. While Dr Ruchika Sachdev, a dentist, shared how she frequently encounters women suffering from domestic violence as part of her everyday practice; Jane Song from the Canterbury Migrants Centre shared insights on how vulnerable migrant women are in New Zealand without any family and peer support.

Sahaayta’s co-ordinator in Canterbury and facilitator of the coffee group Nimi Bedi added, “Our ongoing effort is to generate a dialogue among cultures to tackle this social evil head-on. What we started in Auckland 10-12 years ago, that kind of awareness campaign is needed in the South Island now, as more and more women from South Asia are migrating here.”