• SEWA-AIFW’s Women’s Program is dedicated to assisting immigrant women and their families from the South Asian Community in Minnesota.

• SEWA’s Women’s Program is focused on building a violence free society and empowering women.

• SEWA’s women’s program works with women from the South Asian community through the domestic violence program, community outreach and the economic empowerment program.

• SEWA-AIFW works to actively include survivors of domestic abuse in all our community awareness activities. We believe that survivors must be given the opportunity to speak out and share their experiences to help build a society that does not shame and blame survivors of domestic violence.

• Domestic Violence Program

• SEWA volunteers are available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week on our crisis line to answer questions and mediate crisis’s.

• We provide women with information about their options and rights to help her become empowered to make her own decisions.

• SEWA offers confidential services such as free or low cost legal aid, women’s emotional support groups, and access to battered women’s shelters and medical care.

• Community Outreach

• SEWA-AIFW works throughout the year to generate awareness about abuse and to dialogue with various sections of the South Asian community to prevent the spread of domestic violence.

• SEWA is active in conducting workshops on domestic violence at universities, religious and cultural centers, professional associations and community events.

• SEWA is also involved in activities and events that empower and encourage women of the South Asian community to work together.

• SEWA holds quarterly Women’s Day Out events, at which women may come together to enjoy cultural food, music and activities in a safe environment.

• SEWA is involved in planning the International Women’s Day, held each March by the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.

• Economic Empowerment

• SEWA-AIFW’s economic empowerment program will provide courses, resources, referrals and grants that work to empower survivors of domestic violence in earning their own living and pursuing careers.

• SEWA-AIFW is looking toward setting up a fund for this program. The fund would provide scholarships to buy sewing machines, teach English and computer classes, and provide other resources that encourage survivors throughout the healing process.

This scheme has been initiated by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India for the welfare of Indian women abroad. The scheme aims to provide financial, counseling and legal assistance to women deserted by overseas Indian spouses. In the current year the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs would initially sanction Rs. 40 lakhs each to the Indian Missions in USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and the Gulf subject to review next year. Thus, in the curr ent year the budget provision for this scheme is Rs. 2 crore.

Scope of and Eligibility for the Scheme:
The scheme would be available to the women who have been deserted by their overseas Indian spouses or are facing divorce proceedings in a foreign country subject to the following conditions:

• 1. The woman is an Indian passport holder.
• 2. The marriage of the woman has been solemnised and registered in India.
• 3. The woman is deserted in India or after reaching abroad within two years of the marriage.
• 4. Divorce proceedings are initiated within two years of the marriage by her overseas Indian spouse. 0A
• 5. An ex-parte divorce has been obtained by the overseas Indian spouse and a case for maintenance and alimony is to be filed.
• 6. The scheme would not be available to a woman20facing criminal charges or having a criminal case decided against her.
• 7. The domicile of the woman seeking relief under the scheme is not relevant for allowing the benefit. The woman may be domiciled in the country of her overseas Indian spouse or in India at the time of making the application.
• 8. Preference may be given to applicants on the basis of financial needs.
• 9. Assistance will be limited to meeting initial cost and incidental charges for documentation and filing of the case by the Indian women’s organisation/NGO on the woman’s behalf.
• 10. The assistance will be limited to US $1000 per case and will be releas ed to the Indian community organisations/NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assist the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case.
• 11. The women’s organisation/NGO will make efforts to enlist community advocates, preferably women advocates, to extend further legal assistance/ appearance in court etc on a pro-bono basis.

Whom to contact ?
In case of assistance or filing complaint against the exploitation at the hands of their husbands or in-laws, Indian women overseas can contact Indian Missions in the country where they are residing. Indian Women’s organisations, Indian Community Associations, and NGOs abroad can also be contacted by the Indian women. These organisations provide legal aid to the victims in distress and whose names have been approved by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.& nbsp; The applications for providing legal aid received by the Missions would be examined by an officer designated by the Head of the Mission on case-to-case basis and approved by Head of Mission/Deputy Chief of the Mission.