Asha Speaks

OAPIA hosting case assistance clinics for DC's Asian and Pacific Islander community

2010-01-17T00:53:00.003-05:00

D.C.'s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) is hosting case assistance clinics for resident Asian and Pacific Islander individuals, families, and small business owners, who are encountering trouble accessing government services because of language barriers. The clinics will be held each Wednesday and Thursday at various DC locations. To view locations and times, click here.

Catalogue for Philanthropy picks ASHA for Women as one of the area's best small nonprofits

2010-01-17T00:48:00.005-05:00

The Catalogue represents some of the best small nonprofit in the Greater Washington region, and we are honored to have been chosen to join this prestigious group. Nearly 100 reviewers from foundations, corporations, corporate giving programs, larger nonprofits, and the DC government evaluate applications for "distinction, merit, and impact." Check out our webpage on the Catalogue for Philanthropy site.

Women Thrive Worldwide calls for increased funding to UNIFEM

2010-01-16T23:59:00.007-05:00

ASHA for Women late last year became a signatory to a Women Thrive Worldwide letter urging the United States to continue funding UNIFEM and the UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women in fiscal year 2011.

The letter, which was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, featured signatories, including ASHA for Women, Amnesty International, International Center for Research on Women, and Refugees International.

According to Women Thrive Worldwide, "the U.S. currently faces serious global challenges and understanding the unique role that women and girls play in each of these situations is key to achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives. As such, U.S. contributions to UNIFEM and the UN Trust Fund have the power not only to protect women and girls globally but also to increase our security here at home."

Former United Nations Women's Guild president joins ASHA for Women board

2010-01-16T23:36:00.001-05:00

We are delighted to announce that the ASHA for Women board has unanimously elected Dr. Revathi Vikram, a board certified psychiatrist and former United Nations Family Status Committee chairperson, to its ranks. Dr. Vikram has been providing mental health services in Maryland since 2006 and prior to that practiced in New York, where she served as the American Psychiatric Association's president for the local chapter and chairperson of the organization's Committee on Women. Her specialties include cross-cultural mental health issues, with a special focus on immigration.

In 2005, Dr. Vikram became president of the Vienna, Austria-based United Nations Women's Guild, which assists children in need and mother-child care programs throughout the world. During her tenure, Dr. Vikram helped raise more than €250,00, which were distributed to children's charities worldwide and participated in the UN Millennium Project by leading workshops and staff training in HIV/AIDS education.

Dr. Vikram began volunteering with ASHA for Women two years ago and has worked on advocate training, case consultations, and community outreach.

Darshan TV features news segment on 20 years of ASHA for Women

2009-09-27T15:45:00.004-04:00

View Darshan TV’s Aastha Verma interview ASHA for Women Board Member Rati Bishnoi on our organization’s work in the Washington-metro area across the last 20 years. Click here to see the interview.

ASHA in the news: Darshan TV interview on Washington DeSi report

2009-08-16T19:34:00.009-04:00

Watch SAALT Executive Director Deepa Iyer discuss research findings from Washington DeSi: South Asians in the Nation's Capital and highlight the work of local community organizations serving the D.C. area, including ASHA for Women. Click here to watch the interview.

Volunteer alert: ASHA for Women needs pro bono help

2009-07-28T21:24:00.002-04:00

Asha for Women is compiling a list of attorneys who are licensed in DC, VA, and MD, and are willing to do pro bono work for our clients. One of the most common challenges faced by ASHA for Women's clients is to find timely legal advice as most of them cannot afford to hire attorneys. Most clients needs assistance with immigration, divorce, property and family law. If you are an attorney licensed in DC, Virginia, or Maryland, and are interested in providing your services pro bono to the organization, please contact the organization directly at 1-888-417-2742, or by sending an email to ronita.bhattacharya@gmail.com or coordinator@ashaforwomen.org.

ASHA in the news: Report calls for better access to services for domestic abuse victims

2009-07-22T00:42:00.005-04:00

A new report on South Asians living in Washington, D.C. states that despite organizations like ASHA for Women "too many" domestic violence victims and survivors are still unable to access legal and social services because of a lack of awareness, immigration concerns, and linguistic and cultural barriers.

Washington DeSi: South Asians in the Nation's Capital, released this week by ASHA partners South Asian Americans Leading Together and Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, calls gender-based violence a "silent, but important concern" within the South Asian community, and notes that organizations like ASHA are reporting an increase in the women seeking our services.

"D.C. area domestic violence prevention and support organizations, such as Asian/Pacific Islanders Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) and Asian Women's Self Help Association (ASHA [for Women]), point to an increase in South Asian women seeking their services. DVRP and ASHA are not only raising awareness in the Asian Pacific Islander community about the problems of domestic violence in metropolitan Washington, D.C., but are also providing access to culturally and linguistically responsive resources."

Despite our services and outreach services, D.C. government agencies and mainstream social service providers and shelters need to work more closely with Asian and South Asian organizations to expand the services and options available to domestic violence victims and survivors, the report recommends.

The report also states that District agencies enhance mental health services to South Asians, especially those that are "newly arrived immigrants and survivors of domestic violence and trauma." While organizations like ASHA partner Counselors Helping (South) Asian Indians or CHAI have been filling this void, South Asians often find it difficult to obtain necessary mental health information that is linguistically and culturally sensitive, the report adds.

If you or anyone you know needs to talk to someone about domestic abuse, please call ASHA for Women's 24-hour, toll-free helpline: 1-888-417-2742.

For media or organizational inquiries, please e-mail us at coordinator@ashaforwomen.org.