Specific Problems Need Specific Solutions

Specific Problems Require Specific Solutions.

Whenever a particular issue is raised, someone inevitably asks:

“But what about everyone else? Why focus on just one group?”

It’s a familiar deflection, one that misunderstands both the nature of social problems and the necessity of tailored solutions. Not every issue is the same. Not every community faces the same barriers, risks, or needs. If we want solutions that actually work, we have to understand problems in their specific context.

Imagine telling cancer researchers to focus on all illnesses instead of just cancer. Or telling specialists in domestic abuse to broaden their focus to all interpersonal conflict. It doesn’t make sense because expertise, understanding, and progress come from focus.

When we focus, we uncover the particular conditions that allow certain harms to flourish. We expose the unique patterns that general conversations often miss. We build support systems that actually meet people where they are, not where we assume they should be.

Why We Must Name the Exploitation of Sikh Girls

Take, for example, the religiously motivated sexual exploitation of Sikh girls and women. This is an issue that has been systematically overlooked, despite longstanding community concerns and clear patterns in how victims have been targeted.

Sikh girls have been exploited not just because they are girls, but because of their specific cultural and religious context. Perpetrators have used their Sikh identity, family expectations, and community stigma as tools of control. The fear of dishonour or exclusion has been a silencing force, distinct from the experiences of other victims.

This is why a general safeguarding approach isn’t enough. The support required here must be culturally informed, trauma-aware, and sensitive to the unique barriers Sikh victims face. Solutions must involve the Sikh community itself, especially Gurdware, which should be centres of not just spirituality but safeguarding and education.

If we shy away from specificity, we allow these nuances to remain hidden and we leave victims without the support they need.

Specific Problems, Specific Solutions

Focusing on a specific struggle doesn’t ignore the bigger picture, it strengthens it. It adds depth to our understanding of harm, helps close the gaps in protection, and ensures that no community is left behind simply because their experiences are more complex or uncomfortable to address.

When we focus, we don’t exclude, we refine. And that’s the only way real change happens.

Name it to end it.