ABSTRACT
In the UK, the struggle for the human rights of black and minority women, especially South Asian women also involved a robust challenge to the politics of multiculturalism which although useful in confronting racism, was problematic in respect of struggles for gender equality. This struggle has developed under the shadow of the politics of multi-faithism. This chapter examines the impact of de-secularisation in public institutions such as the welfare and legal system on South Asian women, especially on their struggles for exit options in the face of violence and abuse. It shows the complex ways in which both the State, the religious right and often even progressive left forces have used concepts of 'community' and 'autonomy' to silence internal dissent and to disconnect feminist struggles from legitimate claims about the universality of human rights. The connection between gender, equality and religio-political movements needs to be urgently examined since it has human rights ramifications for the UK.
