Narika- A Helpline for abused South Asian Women

Narika was founded in 1992 to address the problem of domestic
violence in the South Asian community. Embracing the notion of
women’s empowerment, Narika set out to address the unmet needs
of abused South Asian women by providing advocacy, support, information,
and referrals within a culturally sensitive model. We serve women
who trace their origins to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka and diasporic communities such as Fiji and the Caribbean.

Narika’s mission is to promote the empowerment of women in our
community to confront and overcome the cycles of domestic violence
and exploitation. We work to build a movement to end violence
against women and to support women’s rights as human rights.

We consider women who are emotionally or physically abused in
their homes and families to be victims of a larger societal violence
against women. Such women may be abused by either men or women,
and the violence they suffer is not the result of their class,
education, race, religion, economic circumstances, sexual orientation,
perceived inadequacies or other personal circumstance or characteristics.
We are committed to the empowerment of women whether or not they
share our analysis of violence against women.

Narika’s philosophy relies on incorporating our cultural affinities,
our language capabilities, and the most empowering practices from
both South Asian and American cultures. Our volunteers and staff
offer advice, helping hands, and a sisterly ear providing the
support and information women need to make their own decisions.

Site: http://www.narika.org/

Photo: Mumbai skyline in background (49548188873) by Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.