Saheli Conference at Babson College to Explore Survivor-Centered Approaches to Domestic Violence

WELLESLEY, Mass. — Saheli will host its annual conference, Beyond Survival: Safety, Systems & Dignity, on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at Babson College, bringing together advocates, legal professionals, healthcare providers, educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community members for a day focused on survivor-centered responses to domestic violence.

The conference is designed to move the conversation beyond immediate crisis intervention and examine how institutions, communities, and support systems can better address long-term healing, prevention, dignity, and sustainable care for survivors.

The event comes at a time when domestic violence organizations nationwide are increasingly emphasizing trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches that recognize the complex social, economic, and emotional realities survivors face long after moments of immediate danger have passed.

The conference will open with a keynote address by Natalie Higgins titled Beyond Survival: Building Systems That Protect, Empower & Prevent. Higgins is expected to draw from her experience in legal advocacy, public policy, and domestic violence prevention to discuss how systems can evolve to better support survivors while also addressing prevention and long-term empowerment.

Throughout the day, attendees will participate in expert-led panel discussions exploring domestic violence through multiple lenses, including housing instability, cultural expectations, digital safety, and intergenerational dynamics.

One featured session, The Gap Between Safe & Stable, will examine the difficult transition many survivors face after escaping immediate violence but before achieving long-term stability. Panelists Jessica Teperow, Mick Hirsch, Vilma Uribe, and Noor Kazmi will discuss challenges related to housing, financial security, legal systems, and sustained support services.

Another panel, Expanding the Frame: Domestic Violence Through a Cultural Lens, will focus on how culture, family systems, generational expectations, and community pressures can shape survivors’ experiences and influence access to support. Speakers Kalyani Krishnan and Rehana Rahman Kiani will share perspectives on culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to advocacy and healing.

Additional programming will include a TED-style discussion focused on cyber and digital safety in domestic violence situations, reflecting growing concerns around online harassment, surveillance, and technology-enabled abuse.

The conference will also feature Threads of Heritage, a storytelling session intended to explore identity, resilience, and lived experience through personal narratives.

The day will conclude with the Saheli Awards Ceremony, recognizing individuals and organizations advancing survivor advocacy, systems reform, and community support initiatives.

Attendees will also have opportunities to connect throughout the day during networking sessions, breakfast, lunch, and a dedicated coffee hour designed to encourage collaboration across disciplines and organizations.

Saheli, a nonprofit organization serving South Asian survivors of domestic violence and related forms of abuse, has long focused on culturally specific advocacy, prevention, and support services within immigrant and South Asian communities.

This year’s conference reflects a growing recognition that effective responses to domestic violence require not only emergency intervention, but also long-term investments in systems, relationships, and community-based care that allow survivors to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.