RESEARCH area
My broad research interests are domestic violence, “honour”-based crimes, and forced marriages and how intersecting factors (e.g., race or immigration) may impact experiences.
My research examines victim-survivors’ experiences as well as service providers’ perceptions of domestic violence, “honour”-based crimes, and forced marriages and media portrayal of violence against immigrant women in news stories.
RESEARCH EXPERTISE
Family/domestic/intimate partner violence, “honour”-based crimes, forced marriages, policing racialized communities, critical race feminism, intersectionality, grounded (constructivist) theory, qualitative research methods (interviews and vignettes), knowledge mobilization strategies (art-based and graphic recordings), community-based research, and community engaged pedagogies (community service-learning, field placements, and work-integrated learning).
Community-engaged research
I have experience in developing, leading, and consulting on community-driven research projects. My training in Community-Based Research (CBR) informs how I deliver collaborative partnerships with various stakeholders in all phases of a research project.
Highlighted Project
“Gap Analysis of Ethno-cultural Services and Supports in the area of Family Violence Prevention in Edmonton and area communities.”
Two-year funded project (2018) - Family and Community Safety Grant
Designed and implemented a qualitative study for the Immigrant Family Violence Prevention Committee (IFVPC) and Community Initiatives Against Family Violence (CIAFV).
Learning Summary: Aujla, W. (2018). “Early Intervention and Prevention of Family Violence in Ethno-Cultural Communities: On a 24-Hour Clock.”
The project informed an online learning module for professionals to understand family systems in immigrant families.
Consulting Experience
I have been invited to consult on various community-based projects related to domestic violence and aspects of the criminal legal system in immigrant communities.
Recent Projects
2022 - Edmonton Police Service (EPS)
Project: “Intimate Partner Violence – Enhancing Responses and Interventions.” Invited to participate in community consultations to strengthen the collaborative capacity of the Edmonton domestic violence sector.
2022 - Multicultural Health Brokers (MCHB) Co-op
Funded Project: “Holistic Cultural Brokering: Increasing Culturally Responsive Access for Immigrant and Refugee Victims of Crime in the Justice System.” Invited to serve as an advisory member on the two-year funded pilot project.
2019 - Alberta Justice and Solicitor General
Invited to participate as a stakeholder in roundtable discussions to provide feedback on the Police Act review.
Select Past Projects
2016 to 2019 - ASSIST Community Services Centre & United Cultures of Canada Association (UCCA), Project: “Strengthening Child Safety and Wellness with New Immigrant Families.” Funding from the Family and Community Safety Program (FCSP) Grant and Civil Forfeiture Fund (CFF). I supported grant applications and served as an advisory committee member on the project.
2014 - Indo-Canadian Women’s Association (ICWA), Project: “Working in Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls.” I provided feedback on the Status of Women Canada (SWC) funded project tackling honour-based violence.
2013 - Edmonton Police Service, Equity, Diversity, and Human Rights (EDHR) Unit. I was invited to assist with research compilation for a presentation to inform police investigations and detectives about knowledge of “honour”-based violence.
KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION
I have extensive experience in designing and executing qualitative research projects with various methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups, vignettes etc.) and applying knowledge translation strategies (e.g., graphic recordings, and arts-based approaches) to make cutting-edge research accessible.
Faces of Domestic Violence
Collaboration with Heidi Erisman, BGS (Psych), MBA, a Canadian painter with an interest in classical representational painting.
Each painting depicts a South Asian Immigrant Woman’s unique story of domestic violence. The artwork shows women experiencing sadness, pain, and suffering when dealing with domestic violence. The paintings are a representation of the abusive experiences of 7 women I interviewed in my research work. The pieces call for ending the cycle of abuse by breaking the silence.
For more background information on how this collaborative project came about, click here:
https://kaurlife.org/2014/09/19/faces-domestic-violence/
http://cdhpi.ca/sites/cdhpi.ca/files/Presentation_DV_Plaintext_0.pdf
http://cdhpi.ca/sites/cdhpi.ca/files/Wendy_Aujla.pdf
The paintings below have been showcased at many different exhibits across Canada. The images create a safe space for victim-survivors to share their testimonies, and we’ve often heard how similar the stories are.
Please contact me if you want to display the poster boards or the framed painting compiling all the images.
Select Curriculum Vitae for Art Exhibits
2018 - The Aesthetics of Violence, Macewan University. Fine Arts bringing awareness to sexual and Intimate Partner Violence.
2017 - The Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Conference, Faces of Domestic Violence, Poster Presentation.
2016 - 16th Annual Diverse Voices Family Violence Conference, Faces of Domestic Violence.
Graphic Recordings
A series of graphic recordings to capture a study on police experiences and their perceptions of “honour”-based crimes and forced marriages. Details of the graphic recordings are captured by Clarity Ink recorder Lori Danyluk
