This research takes as its starting point the following question: what factors are involved in addressing intimate violence against South Asian women in Montreal and in supporting their well-being? The research methods used are based in critical ethnography, writing against culture, and feminist anthropological frameworks and include participant observation, textual analysis, and interviews with front-line workers at and members of the South Asian Women’s Community Centre of Montreal (SAWCC). Pamela’s research maps the ideological and structural factors that shape these experiences in the sociohistorical context of political “reasonable accommodation debates”. Findings suggest that addressing this violence requires a critical look at specific realities at the intersection of these factors, the role of (mis)understandings and use of the concept of culture by pertinent actors, integration of anti-racism into anti-violence work and services, and the recognition of the crucial work done by community organizations that provide key interventions.

Themes: Social Justice, Health & Well-being