The Shifa Women’s Center is committed to ending violence against women through prevention, intervention, outreach, and advocacy. We help those hurt by violence to heal and empower themselves so that women, children and men may lead safe and healthy lives.
Domestic violence is physical abuse or emotional abuse that takes place in a home. Overwhelmingly, victims are women. We act as a referral for victims of domestic violence, focusing on immigrant women. Immigrants from regions such as the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa are less likely to seek help from mainstream service agencies, due to cultural and language barriers. These barriers may include:
- Fluency in the English language
- Little to no family or friends in the U.S.
- Threats to immigration status
- Lack of knowledge about existing legal protection, immigration laws, service agencies, and religious beliefs or cultural practices not understood by others
Our women’s center provides direct intervention, counseling, police liasons, medical and legal assistance, child care, transportation, safe houses, and employment assistance.