Sikh Women's Aid Parliamentary Report Launch: "From Her King's are Born"
This report looks to evidence the prevalence and impact of domestic and sexual violence on Sikh and Panjabi men and women living in the UK to help inform service delivery.
65% of repsondents reported that the abuse they suffered had left a long lasting impact on their physical and mental wellbeing
Congratulation to our grassroot partner, Sikh Women’s Aid for launching their parliamentary report: “From Her Kings Are Born”!
Sikh Women’s Aid has been established to provide support services to women and girls in repsonse to the emerging crisis of domestic violence and abuse against women and girls in the Sikh/ Punjabi community. There has been little to no academic research into specifically Sikh community abuse, making this report seminal and groundbreaking.
This body of work will be instrumental in understanding how we can support survivors better. They highlight the urgent need for culturally appropriate support organizations for minoritized women and other victims of sexual violence. We are so proud to be partnered with an organization so dedicated to ending violence and abuse against women.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
- 70% of respondents reported that they had experienced domestic violence and abuse. Despite 97% of respondents identifying themselves as having an awareness of DVA, only 34% of respondents informed anyone or accessed support services. Nearly half of all respondents who experienced abuse had more than one perpetrator. Men from the Sikh/Panjabi community also experience abuse {14%).
- When looking at the figures for Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Sexual Abuse, over a third of all respondents have experienced it. Females are disproportionately impacted and 1 in 7 respondents that said, ‘yes’ to having experienced CSE/CSA, had more than one perpetrator. The data suggests that victims are more likely to be abused by someone in their family setting or someone known to them, than by online exploitation.
- 65% of respondents reported that the abuse they suffered had left a long-lasting impact on their physical or mental wellbeing.
- 72% of respondents who said ‘yes’ to being impacted by the abuse they suffered as adults or as children, stated they had suffered depression and anxiety. 67% had problems developing trust with others. 46% suffered with anger issues. 43% suffered a breakdown of intimate relationships.
Recommendations from the report findings:
1
More academic based research needs to be carried out on the extent of abuse within the Sikh/Panjabi Community.
2
Preventing violence and abuse from happening in the first place is key to making a significant difference to the overall prevalence of these crimes. To end VAWG, DVA and CSE/CSA, a focus on early education and respectful relationships is essential.
3
Properly funded prevention programmes done well, can challenge the deep-rooted social norms, attitudes and behaviours that discriminate against and oppress women and girls in the Sikh/Panjabi community and across all communities.
4
Culturally sensitive and trauma informed projects and services need to be funded so that victims can access appropriate services. This may include bi-lingual DSA programmes and specialist counselling.
5
Multi-lingual, culturally appropriate perpetrator programmes need to be developed which include campaigns and awareness of the consequences for perpetrators of abuse including female perpetrators.
6
Funding must be awarded to those community organisations who have been rigorously checked, ensuring that they have the right policies and procedures in place, deeming them fit for purpose.