Wifebeaters

I have tried (half-heartedly) to join some sort of program that helps women in domestic abuse situations for the better part of the year. For some reason, I kept thinking that I should volunteer with women of South Asian descent, as an interpreter (of both language and culture). I tried Sakhi, but no luck. They don’t seem to have anything active in Philadelphia. I emailed SEWAA a number of times, but no response. I should keep trying.  (Which is troubling considering the high number of South Asian immigrants we have all over West Philly, Northeast Philly etc who are probably getting bashed as we speak.) Hopefully they’re too busy helping people to need volunteers?

The story of the Californian man of Indian descent who tracked down his wife,  despite two restraining orders, and shot her and an bystanders was horrific, but hardly new. It’s rare to grow up in the Pakistani community and not notice the hints of domestic violence everywhere. The cast that Aunt N. all of a sudden wears because she “strained” her wrist. The bruise on Auntie P.’s cheekbone from “tripping.”

Temple University recently  unveiled a new study showing the patterns of domestic abuse in ER patients that I found interesting.

“Women who are injured by an intimate partner tend to suffer from distinct types of upper facial injuries, while those injured from other causes, such as a car accident or fall, are more likely to suffer lower facial fractures. In other words, brain injuries or breaks around the eye socket and cheekbones would signal intimate partner violence, whereas a broken jaw might not. The findings surprised Arosarena and her co-researchers. “We fully expected the injuries to be distributed like they are in other traumas, but they weren’t.”

So there you have. No excuse to sit idly by. Volunteer at Women Against Abuse! Or donate. Learn more.