Introduction

Since 1947 there has been an influx of South Asian migrants to the UK for different reasons. Some of this has been motivated by a need to escape civil war, to seek better economic opportunities, for marriage or to join family members. According to the 2011 census, South Asians represent the largest minority group in Britain. Many of these migrants have settled in the UK and are contributing to economic, social and political life (Girishkumar, 2014). Despite the apparent assimilation of South Asian migrants into the UK and their relatively large number, South Asian women migrants in particular continue to face multiple disadvantages. These disadvantages include language barriers, lack of education, lack of skills, poor quality housing, unemployment (Girishkumar, 2014) and specific forms of violence associated with the various cultural and religious practices that define their identity (Raj and Silverman, 2002; Anitha, 2008). These increase the gender-based power imbalance, thereby reinforcing the patriarchal structures of both the host and migrant cultures, which leads to the further marginalisation and victimisation of women (Anitha, 2008; Girishkumar, 2014).

Patriarchy is a system of society in which men hold power and women are largely excluded from it. It is an ideology that is considered to be a major deciding factor when mapping the gender power relations that exist within a society (Anitha, 2008; Girishkumar, 2014). It is suggested that patriarchal structures, combined with other intersecting components such as class, race, culture, religion and family patterns, contribute to the context within which abuse occurs (Gilligan and Akhtar, 2006; Ganeshpanchan, 2017) and oppress women.

Even though patriarchy is considered to be a universal phenomenon, it can intensify depending on the region and culture in which it is practised (Hapke, 2013). In South Asian communities, its manifestation can be widespread, playing a central role in the way women's lives are defined and subjugated (Prasad, 1999; Johnson and Johnson, 2001; Niaz, 2003; Girishkumar, 2014). This chapter, informed by a participatory action research approach (O’Neill, 2006), discusses some of the cultural practices that exist among the South Asian communities living in the UK that negatively impact women and girls.

Methodology

The methodology adopted was qualitative and included a range of face-to-face and telephone interviews, as well as focus groups over a period of 36 months with 107 female survivors of violence from South Asian backgrounds living in Leicester and Leicestershire.