The Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR), in partnership with the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada (MACC), led a 30-month community-based research project funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) from September 2023 to March 2026. The project explored how to reduce barriers that Muslim women in Halton Region face when disclosing gender-based violence (GBV) and seeking support from formal services and informal networks.

The project aimed to develop culturally informed and accessible pathways that support Muslim women to safely share their experiences of abuse and access help. It focused on identifying intersectional barriers, documenting promising practices, and developing culturally responsive recommendations to improve support for Muslim women experiencing GBV. The project also aimed to contribute to Canada’s National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and efforts to combat Islamophobia.

The project was organized into three phases. Phase 1 focused on understanding community needs and identifying barriers to disclosure and support-seeking. Phase 2 examined promising practices through case studies of service provider organizations. Phase 3 focused on knowledge mobilization by sharing findings through community activities, resources, and events, including a summit.

Data collection included a literature review, interviews, group discussions, surveys, and case studies. Across the first two phases, 52 people participated, including 24 Muslim women from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of GBV and 28 frontline staff and service providers who support Muslim women experiencing violence.

Phase 1 focused on identifying barriers and challenges through literature reviews, focus groups, interviews, surveys, and community forums. The findings highlighted community-based barriers such as stigma, shame, isolation, and misuse of religious teachings, as well as systemic barriers including Islamophobia, racism, lack of culturally appropriate services, and bureaucratic obstacles. Participants also identified promising practices such as trauma-informed care, culturally responsive support, accessible services, and the importance of trusted community and religious spaces. The phase concluded with recommendations related to education, culturally informed training, Muslim-led initiatives, and stronger support infrastructure.

Phase 2 examined promising practices through case studies of three organizations: Halton Multicultural Council, Halton Women’s Place, and Nisa Foundation. Interviews and focus groups with staff and clients revealed the importance of client-centred and flexible approaches, culturally and linguistically responsive services, trauma-informed care, and strong referral networks. Participants emphasized the need for faith-sensitive programming, long-term support after shelter transitions, stronger partnerships with mosques and community organizations, and greater collaboration across sectors. Recommendations also called for systemic policy changes, including sustained funding for Muslim-centred services, addressing Islamophobia and systemic racism, and integrating Muslim-led organizations into mainstream decision-making processes. 

Phase 3 focused on knowledge sharing and community capacity building. This phase produced survivor narratives, summary reports, infographics, webinars, and a community summit to share findings with communities, service providers, and policymakers. The goal was to support more culturally informed, accessible, and equitable systems of care for Muslim women experiencing gender-based violence. 

The findings emphasizes that Muslim women experiencing gender-based violence need culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and structurally responsive support. It highlights that barriers such as racism, immigration policies, underfunded services, stigma, and fear of judgment cannot be addressed through service expansion alone; systems must change how they understand and respond to survivors’ realities.

It also stresses that Muslim-led services are essential because they offer trust, cultural relevance, shared understanding, and safer access points. The findings can inform Canada’s National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence by supporting community-specific education, sustained funding, multilingual outreach, culturally responsive training, and stronger survivor-centred infrastructure.

Overall, the conclusion calls on policymakers, service providers, community and religious leaders, educators, and the public to work together toward systems that are more inclusive, compassionate, equitable, and responsive to Muslim women’s needs.