 Main Culture Divorce Extended Families Controlling Husbands Being in a new country  |
 
  Even though Indian women have immigrated to a land and era of liberation, there are still those men who claim to hold � power and control� in a relationship and these women are reluctant, afraid, or slow in fighting them (Dosanjh et al, 1994). The main reason for husbands to assert control over their wives is the dependency status of women on their husbands (Dosanjh et al, 1994). Since the husbands sponsor these women to come to Canada, these women are financially, socially, and psychologically depended on their husbands (Dosanjh et al, 1994). Some Counselors have reported examples of some typical forms of domestic violence practiced by South Asian men in North America to be:
Abusive South Asian men use numerous threats to intimidate their wives in a way that they would not be able report violence. Some of the examples of threats are threatening their wives to have them deported, take the custody of their children, and warnings of seriously harming them in case they tried to take a step against violence (Family Violence Prevention Funds, 2001). Ironically, Many shelters that have been working with South Asian women have reported that it is the most dangerous step when a woman stands up for herself and leaves the relationships (Riti, 2003). A reason for the occurrence of this is that the abuser�s power and control over his wife is threatened and that can make him more violent ending in possibly a threat of death to the wife (Riti, 2003).  Dosanjh, R., Deo, S., Sidhu, S. (1994). Spousal Abuse in the South Asian Community. Vancouver: Feminist Family Violence Prevention Funds (2001). Global prevention facts & changes. Retrieved March 3, 2003 from Riti, M.D. (2003). Black and blue. Retrieved March. 3, 2003 from http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/mar/08spec.htm  This web site is designed by Harveer Sihota and Beant Grewal, April 2003 |
Completely abandoning their newly arrived wives or abusing them so badly and treating them like servants that the women live in constant fear and pain