SAARTHI

If selected as a winner, I would use the Elevate Prize funding funding to provide and improve economic opportunities for the South Asian immigrant women in the United States. This includes providing job and employment trainings, improve their career and job marketability skills, support Education and vocational trainings, transport and legal services in order to make them economically empowered and enable them to make independent decisions for themselves. 

Research has shown that the primary cause of domestic and intimate partner violence is economic/financial dependence. By providing them such resources during the initial stages of conflict in their relationships, our organization will drastically reduce and eventually eliminate the probability of these women becoming the victims of domestic abuse in future.

I would also use the Elevate Prize funding to hold seminars, talks and workshops in local  community events, clubs and organizations in order to spread awareness about healthy social relationships through sociological insights.

In addition to this, I would use social media and local media to identify South Asian immigrant women who are struggling in their relationships and provide sociological solutions to their relationship issues and hence reduce their chances of becoming the victims of domestic abuse.

My vision is to eliminate domestic abuse in our society by providing guidance, support and resources to women struggling with troubled relationships under the guidance of expert and experienced sociologists.

I am a sociologist who has a doctoral degree in sociology from a reputed University in the U.S. and have have done extensive research on gender equity and family relationship issues and have also been extensively involved in the community working with victims of domestic abuse for more than 15 years. Over these years of community involvement combined with academic research, I found that providing sociological guidance and resources during initial stages of conflict can protect thousands of innocent women and children from becoming victims of domestic abuse in future. 

I believe that that this preventive approach is greatly needed in the society because domestic violence, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, accounts for 21 % of all violent victimization and the lifetime psychological damage caused by the experience of domestic abuse cannot be mitigated by only  rehabilitating the victims.  My sociologically guided  preventive approach is needed in the society to save the lives of  thousands of innocent women and children from becoming the victims of domestic abuse in future.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, accounts for 21 % of all violent victimization. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey, about 42% of the south Asians suffered from domestic violence in their lifetime. While there is an urgent need to address this rapidly growing evil in our society that affects both innocent women and children, most nonprofit organizations provide a bandage by directing donor funds to rehabilitate the victims. However,  because of the lack of the guided approach towards rehabilitation, most victims suffer from the risk of repeat victimization. About 40% of the domestic violence abuse victims face the risk of repeat victimization. 

My organization uses a preventive approach to address the problem of domestic abuse. we provide sociological guidance, support and resources to the South Asian immigrant women in the United States who are struggling with conflict in their relationships. By proving sociological solutions to their relationship problems during the initial stages of conflict, we protect these women and their children from becoming the victims of domestic abuse in future.

I am taking the unique preventive approach to address the growing evil of domestic abuse in our society. 

My approach is unique and highly innovative because it uses evidence and methods learned from years of sociological research in the area of gender equity to benefit and save the lives of innocent women and children in the community. Over these past years of my extensive research, l have learned that domestic abuse is preventable and hence it needs a preventive instead of a curative solution.  This perspective is highly innovative because most non profits exist with a good intention but lack the expert knowledge required to understand human relationships and hence not so effective in providing a viable solution to address this problem in our society.

I am a highly accomplished sociologist who has a doctoral degree in Sociology, written several books and articles on gender and relationship issues in peer reviewed journals and presented at several colloquiums and workshops and also worked with victims of domestic abuse in the community. 

I strongly believe that my approach will be highly effective in eliminating domestic abuse from our society because it evolved from years of scientific sociological research and community involvement.

I am taking the following steps to achieve my planned impact:

1. Reaching out to South Asian immigrant women who are struggling with conflict in their relationships through local media and local community events.

3. Providing  socio-cultural guidance and sociological solutions to women and men struggling with conflict in their relationships.

4. Providing women with the  necessary resources such as information about available resources, training for jobs and employment, education, transport, legal services and language translation services during the initial stages of conflict.

They are highly effective because they are preventive in nature. Women are not afraid of taking advantage of the available solutions because the solutions are not damaging to their self esteem that occurs from being a victim of domestic abuse. They are not invasive as they do not involve dealing with police and courts. They promote healthy social environment at home and prevent conflict that occurs from the lack of proper understanding between partners.

It is well known that the psychological damage caused to the victims is lifelong and cannot be undone by any act of rehabilitation.

Hence, Prevention is always better than cure. This is precisely the purpose and mission of my organization.