Ayman Mukerji Househam
Sakhi
USA
Hello! I am Ayman Mukerji Househam, and I am a master’s of social work student at NYU Silver School of Social Work. A very personal cause drove me to take on this second career. I was a physicist and computer scientist before, but I always wanted to address a rather common problem in South Asian countries–that of domestic violence against women–so I chose to work at Sakhi for South Asian Women this summer.
“Sakhi” (Sanskrit सखि, meaning “woman friend”) is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1989 with the mission of eradicating violence against women. It is the second US-based organization that was formed to work on South Asian women’s rights. Sakhi offers culturally and linguistically competent domestic violence and sexual assault services, engages communities, and implements policy and an advocacy agenda to advance its mission.
As a policy and communication fellow at Sakhi, my responsibilities will include developing and implementing Sakhi’s policy and advocacy agenda, formulating a proactive advocacy activation plan, and deepening its collaborations with South Asian women’s organizations (SAWOs) and other like-minded organizations, with the goal of creating coalitions in response to obstructive immigration and women’s rights policy changes. I will monitor, research, and analyze the effects of policy changes and will host a town hall to better understand the community’s needs and to help Sakhi become a survivor-centered and survivor-led organization.
Domestic violence in South Asian countries is a complex problem with a long history. I have chosen the immigrant South Asian subpopulation to address the issue in a more contained scope, and because victims in the US–being in a foreign country–may be better positioned to escape domestic violence. Advocacy against domestic violence, specifically offering asylum to the immigrant subpopulation, has occurred in the recent past in the US. However, policy changes made by the current US political administration may jeopardize the protections that have been available to South Asian immigrants trying to escape domestic violence. My project would allow for Sakhi to proactively find creative ways to offer protection despite the political adversities.
I am looking forward to learning more about the various policies that touch this intersectional human rights issue and learning about how to navigate challenging policy changes. The biggest challenge in my project would be anticipating scenarios that might occur in a volatile US policy climate.