“This Whole Lockdown was a Curse”: South Asian Women Seeking Justice from Family Violence

Abstract Purpose Few studies have examined women’s experiences of family violence during COVID-19, and even fewer studies have considered South Asian immigrant women’s experiences. South Asian immigrant women face unique injustices caused by structural oppression, namely, gendered structural racism and inequality, reinforced through interactions with individuals, communities, organizations, and sociopolitical structures and systems. Structural oppression creates barriers that impact survivors’ ability to receive support and justice. Centering the voices of an understudied and racialized group, this study explores South Asian immigrant women’s experiences pursuing justice after violence. Methods This analysis involved two sub-samples (South Asian immigrant women ( N = 12) and direct service providers ( N = 8) taken from a broader qualitative study where New York City-based immigrant women and personnel from community-based organizations were interviewed about structural oppression and immigrant women’s health and wellbeing during COVID-19. Results Five key themes emerged highlighting how survivors of violence discussed pathways to justice: (1) self-empowerment, (2) social support, (3) community-based support, (4) carceral interventions, and (5) silence and the decision not to pursue justice. The results show a preference for social and community-based support initiatives for emotional support, material resources, advocacy, and capacity building over carceral solutions. Conclusion The experiences of the South Asian immigrant women in our study illuminate the insufficiency of current pathways for justice available for survivors. We propose a multi-level shift towards community-led transformative justice. This research contributes to the literature informing evidence- and experience-based policy and practice to facilitate justice for South Asian immigrant survivors.