KAFA

Shedding Light on Gender-Based Violence in Canada’s Arab Community

Kafa, which translates to "enough" in Arabic, is a community-driven research initiative aimed at understanding and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) within Canada’s Arab community. This collaborative project seeks to fill crucial knowledge gaps and implement promising practices to support survivors and prevent future instances of GBV.

Background

Kafa endeavours to

  1. Fill Knowledge Gaps: Address systemic prevalence and manifestations of GBV within the Arab community to serve this underserved minority group better. This includes producing a comprehensive research report to meet program goals.

  2. Community-Driven Approach: Collaborate with stakeholders connected to the Arab community, engaging organizations and individuals through an advisory committee. The aim is to develop survivor-centric and trauma-informed policies and procedures at the organizational level.

  3. Disseminate Knowledge: Share research findings in accessible ways to impacted communities, ensuring practical applicability.

Project Objectives

  • Understand the manifestation and prevalence of GBV among Arab-Canadian women.

  • Assess relationships between service providers and survivors to improve intervention strategies.

  • Identify preferred support methods by survivors, especially those with intersectional risks.

Research Proposal

Utilizing a participatory action research (PAR) mixed-methods approach, Kafa aims to engage 10 Arab women experiencing GBV throughout the research process. This involves surveys, informant interviews with service providers and survivors, and participant observations. Ethical considerations will be ensured through collaboration with York University’s Centre for Refugee Studies.

Engagement

Survivors will be actively involved through the advisory committee, ensuring their voices guide the research process. Knowledge mobilization activities will include events, material production, and direct dissemination efforts involving impacted communities.

Contact Us

For inquiries, contact noura@canadianarabinstitute.org.