Canadian Arab Institute / Institut Canado-Arabe

Published purpose

Through this 37-month project, the Canadian Arab Institute (CAI) will conduct a community-driven and collaborative research project to help improve access to GBV prevention and intervention services for women within Canada’s fastest growing immigrant group, the Canadian-Arab community. The project will fill the knowledge gaps about their needs and lived experiences and the systemic prevalence and manifestations of GBV within the community. It will also assess the relationship between service providers and survivors through existing prevention, mitigation, intervention, and support mechanisms used and determine preferred approaches and adaptations needed for at-risk women and survivors, taking into account intersectional factors. At the end of the project, events will be hosted and knowledge products will be developed to disseminate the research results within the community and the GBV sector. With the Supplemental funds and extension provided in early 2026, the Canadian Arab Institute will leverage the research and network produced so far to convene an advisory committee of service providers, GBV survivors, and researchers to develop practical toolkits, referral pathways, and organizational guidelines for GBV service providers working with Arab communities. The project will also apply qualitative research methodologies to pilot the content in different communities across Canada and disseminate the findings to advocate for wider adoption of culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and effective GBV interventions for the Arab Canadian community and other intersectional communities. Through this, they will further advance Gender Equality.