ABSTRACT
Since the late 1990s, members of the Indian diaspora have collectively organized to support victims of domestic violence while challenging patriarchy within their communities. This chapter provides an overview of the specific forms of domestic violence that occur within the Indian diaspora in the United States and Canada by highlighting issues related to honour-based crimes, transnational abandonment and sex selection in the diasporic context. While domestic violence and sexual assault occur across the spectrum of gender, we focus primarily on male violence perpetrated against female bodies, as this remains the most prevalent form of violence in the Indian diaspora. The chapter describes the contributions of activists and the ongoing challenges in raising consciousness and providing adequate support services to survivors of domestic violence in the Indian diaspora. The chapter highlights how the experience of domestic violence in the Indian diaspora is inextricably shaped by the immigration process and experiences of discrimination in white settler states.
