Identifying The Barriers of Leaving Abusive Relationships For South Asian Immigrant Women in Canada : A Comprehensive Literature Review

Abstract

This study critically examines the complex and intersecting barriers that South Asian immigrant women in Canada face when attempting to leave abusive intimate partner relationships. Through a comprehensive literature review of seminal qualitative studies, this research identifies key cultural, familial, and systemic obstacles—including family honour, economic dependency, social isolation, and systemic distrust—that significantly impede survivors’ help-seeking behaviors and access to appropriate support services. The analysis exposes critical gaps in culturally competent programming, systemic biases within legal and institutional frameworks, and immigration-related vulnerabilities that further marginalize these women. Central to the study is an intersectional understanding of how race, culture, gender, and immigrant status shape experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) within South Asian communities. Guided by anti-oppressive and feminist theoretical frameworks, this review advocates for culturally informed, trauma-informed, and intersectional approaches in social work policy, practice, and service delivery. Recommendations include developing individualized, culturally sensitive care plans, peer-led support groups, accessibility-driven service models incorporating interpreters and cultural brokers, and mandatory professional training on anti-oppressive practices. Policy reforms aimed at mitigating immigration-related barriers and expanding linguistically and culturally appropriate services are emphasized. The study further highlights the urgent need for enhanced research employing longitudinal and community-based participatory action research (PAR) methodologies to empower survivors as active participants and co-researchers, fostering agency and resilience. Ultimately, sustained advocacy, community-driven interventions, and systemic reform are essential to dismantle the structural barriers sustaining IPV within South Asian immigrant communities in Canada and to promote equity, safety, and social justice for survivors.