KARIMA is from Middle East. She received political asylum in the United States 3 years ago.  She left her parents and joined her older brother, who had come to the US several years before.

She is single. According to Karima’s culture, an unmarried woman must obey the orders of her father, or the oldest male relative present. Karima’s brother demanded that she do what he believes is good for her because he is her oldest male relative in America. Karima is over 25 years old, but she was not allowed to have her own voice and opinion. Her brother asserted control over her and abused her verbally and emotionally. He did not want her to go to school or to work. He wanted her to marry (against her will) a man whom he chose for her.

Karima started to be involved in our project activities. She was learning about domestic violence during our workshops and during Monthly Domestic Violence Forums. She started to volunteer for our project. She also started attending ESL classes. Her brother attempted to stop her from participating in any “outside” activities. He became more and more controlling and abusive. In May 2003, Fatima told us that she did not want to live like that and asked for help. Another refugee woman from our network offered to share an apartment with Karima, and they became roommates. Karima’s brother was very angry about this. However, Karima used her new knowledge about options for battered women and about her rights. She told her brother that she would call 911, file a petition for a Temporary Restraining Order or use other legal options, if he continued to make threats or was violent toward her.

The first thing Karima did after moving out of her brother’s home was to ask for assistance in finding a job. She soon started working as at a local store. At the same time, she passed her Learner’s Permit exam and signed-up for License to Freedom’s driver’s license training. After 7 training sessions (14 hours of behind-the-wheel training) she passed her driving test and received a Driver’s License.

Karima likes her job, but her dream is to work in an office. She is saving money for a car. She has continued to learn English and continued her involvement in our project. She also started attending vocational training to become an office assistance. She has also used her knowledge and personal experience of domestic violence to help other women.