WOMEN'S HEALTH Family Violence and Maternal Mortality in the South Asian Community: The Role of Obstetrical Care Providers Patricia A. Janssen, RN, PhD, 1-4 Angela D. Henderson, PhD,5 Kathleen L. MacKay, MSW6 1School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC 2Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC 4Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver BC 5School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Abstract Objective: South Asian women face multiple barriers to accessing information and support if they are experiencing spousal abuse. We conducted a study among South Asian women in Surrey, British Columbia, to define a role for obstetrical care providers in assisting women who experience family violence. Methods: South Asian women survivors of abuse participated with representatives of family and victim services agencies in a workshop to identify key opportunities for violence prevention and intervention by obstetrical care providers. Participants grouped issues affecting women's vulnerability to violence into four themes and identified strategies to address them. Results: Themes focused on cultural issues, services and supports, education and prevention, and policy and advocacy. Participants highlighted challenges posed by the patriarchal nature of their culture and, for many families, by recent immigration. They emphasized the importance of routine assessment for family violence by obstetrical care providers and stressed the need to treat the entire family, not just the identified victim. They focused on the role of the caregiver as a conduit of information about social services and other resources. Community-level interventions to address abuse were endorsed, including the use of lay media to deliver key messages about health and safety. Conclusion: Pregnancy offers caregivers an opportunity to be advocates and to provide information and referrals for women in the South Asian community who may be at risk of violence. Obstetrical caregivers may be an important influence in protecting women from lethal harm. Key Words: Community health education, domestic violence, intervention studies, Southern Asia Competing Interests: None declared. Received on March 17, 2009 Accepted on May 11, 2009 Résumé Objectif : Les femmes de l'Asie du Sud font face à de multiples obstacles en ce qui a trait à l'obtention de renseignements et de soutien lorsqu'elles font l'objet de violence conjugale. Nous avons mené une étude auprès de femmes de l'Asie du Sud habitant à Surrey, en Colombie-Britannique, en vue de définir le rôle que pourraient jouer les fournisseurs de soins obstétricaux pour venir en aide aux femmes qui font l'objet de ce type de violence. Méthodes : Des femmes de l'Asie du Sud ayant survécu à ce type de violence ont participé, conjointement avec des représentants d'organismes de services aux familles et aux victimes, à un atelier visant à identifier les occasions clés dont les fournisseurs de soins obstétricaux pourraient se prévaloir à des fins de prévention de la violence et d'intervention. Les participantes ont groupé les aspects affectant la vulnérabilité des femmes