“It is more difficult to leave now, there is nowhere to go”: Mapping structural barriers to GBV support for migrant women in Ireland

BackgroundMigrant and refugee women have faced a myriad of challenges during COVID-19, which are often exacerbated by the interaction between this population’s diverse identities and established systems in the local context. This qualitative study uses the lens of intersectionality to understand migrant and refugee women’s experiences of gender-based violence and access to and quality of support services in Italy during the first year of COVID-19.MethodsData were gathered from 51 key informant interviews and eight focus group discussions of 31 participants. Key informants included service providers across sectors, including gender-based violence and anti-violence organizations, government and law, health, psychology, social work, and anti-trafficking administration. Focus group participants were migrant and refugee women aged 18–65 from the following countries of origin: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, El Salvador, Gambia, Ghana, Honduras, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, and Syria. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded using a collaborative process with partners from UNICEF. Transcripts were then evaluated for arising themes using three methods of intersectionality analysis.ResultsData analysis revealed how COVID-19 converged with sexism, racism, and xenophobia in Italy, leading to increased public and domestic violence against refugee and migrant women. Another prominent theme was the exacerbated vulnerability for refugee and migrant women in precarious socioeconomic situations, which prompted many service providers to recognize and address gaps in service offerings and coordination around basic needs. However, due to resource constraints and bias, providers did not systematically incorporate inclusive language and cultural mediation into remote and online services, creating a heightened barrier to access for non-Italian women despite their complex needs. As such, refugee and migrant women highlighted community-based solidarity and support as protective factors during lockdown periods.ConclusionFindings emphasize how overlapping dominant sociocultural and socioeconomic systems impacted refugee and migrant women’s experiences of violence during COVID-19 in Italy, and how some support services were unprepared to respond to the complex needs of diverse, newcomer populations. We discuss how policymakers and practitioners might consider intersectionality in their preparedness and response planning for gender-based violence services during health emergencies moving forward.

This study examines the experiences of migrant women survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada, focusing on their processes of disclosing violence and seeking help. It explores a range of migration-related factors and circumstances that shape migrant women's responses to violence while also aiming to reveal how migration contexts determine system-and structural-level responses to GBV, which are then traced back to women's individual experiences and responses. Based on 17 in-depth interviews with migrant women and using a situated intersectionality perspective, our findings demonstrate first how GBV in migration is uniquely shaped and (re)produced by precarity, rooted in structural, socioeconomic, and legal conditions that translate into heightened vulnerability at the individual level. We showed that migration contexts increased women's vulnerability to GBV, as perpetrators exploited precarity to manipulate and control women, illustrating the continuum of precarity-GBV. Secondly, this manipulation, controlling behaviors, and abuse of migrant women by perpetrators are enabled by migration policies and practices that give rise to their precarity. Additionally, our participants reported a lack of supportive social networks, which, in combination with the fear of cultural stigmatization, created a double bind hindering their processes of seeking safety. Furthermore, systemic responses to migrant women experiencing GBV were found to be inadequate, with discriminatory and negligent attitudes in healthcare, police, and legal systems. This is the continuum of systemic-individual level violence. Our findings enhance both the theoretical and empirical understanding of the continuum (i) between precarity and GBV and (ii) between systemic and individual forms of GBV in migration contexts, where precarity exacerbates GBV, and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle that deepens individual experiences of vulnerability, while the systemic and structural forms of violence contribute/(re)produce individual experiences of GBV.

This study prioritises the experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women and their human security in the context of gender-based violence in Botswana. The study utilised the social constructivism theory and the social-ecological model to provide a comprehensive understanding of how gender-based violence occurs in society and how social realities construct migrant women’s experiences. Using a qualitative research approach, secondary data was collected to investigate the gender-based violence experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women. The study found that migrant women experienced various forms of abuse, including intimate partner violence with both foreign and local partners, sexual violence and harassment in their host communities, trafficking and smuggling, and sexual abuse in detention centres, all rooted in xenophobic sentiments. Power imbalances and irregularities in structural relationships between men and women were identified as significant factors contributing to violence. The findings indicate that cultural beliefs and gender roles from the country of origin and host country contribute to migrant women’s reluctance to report or disclose their experiences of gender-based violence. Patriarchal ideologies further affect judgment towards survivors and contribute to the acceptance and normalization of gender-based violence. This study contributes to the literature on human insecurities faced by migrant women and their responses to these insecurities. It highlights the need for policies that address the underlying causes of gender-based violence and promote the empowerment of migrant women.

BackgroundStudies report mixed findings about rates of both exclusive and partial breastfeeding amongst women who are migrants or refugees in high income countries. It is important to understand the beliefs and experiences that impact on migrant and refugee women’s infant feeding decisions in order to appropriately support women to breastfeed in a new country. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of a meta-ethnographic study that explored migrant and refugee women’s experiences and practices related to breastfeeding in a new country.MethodsCINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library with Full Text databases were searched for the period January 2000 to May 2012. Out of 2355 papers retrieved 11 met the inclusion criteria. A meta-ethnographic synthesis was undertaken using the analytic strategies and theme synthesis techniques of reciprocal translation and refutational investigation. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool.ResultsEight qualitative studies and three studies reporting both qualitative and quantitative data were included and one overarching theme emerged: ‘Breastfeeding in a new country: facing contradictions and conflict’. This theme comprised four sub-themes ‘Mother’s milk is best’; ‘Contradictions and conflict in breastfeeding practices’; ‘Producing breast milk requires energy and good health’; and ‘The dominant role of female relatives’. Migrant women who valued, but did not have access to, traditional postpartum practices, were more likely to cease breastfeeding. Women reported a clash between their individual beliefs and practices and the dominant practices in the new country, and also a tension with family members either in the country of origin or in the new country.ConclusionMigrant women experience tensions in their breastfeeding experience and require support from professionals who can sensitively address their individual needs. Strategies to engage grandmothers in educational opportunities may offer a novel approach to breastfeeding support.

BackgroundRecent U.S. immigration policy has increasingly focused on asylum deterrence and has been used extensively to rapidly deport and deter asylum-seekers, leaving thousands of would-be asylum-seekers waiting indefinitely in Mexican border cities, a large and growing proportion of whom are pregnant and parenting women. In the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, these women are spending unprecedented durations waiting under unsafe humanitarian conditions to seek safety in the U.S, with rising concerns regarding increases in gender-based violence (GBV) among this population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given existing gaps in evidence, we aimed to describe the lived experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies among pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border.MethodsWithin the community-based Maternal and Infant Health for Refugee & Asylum-Seeking Women (MIHRA) study, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 30 asylum-seeking women in Tijuana, Mexico between June and December 2022. Eligible women had been pregnant or postpartum since March 2020, were 18–49 years old, and migrated for the purposes of seeking asylum in the U.S. Drawing on conceptualizations of structural and legal violence, we conducted a thematic analysis of participants’ experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies and COVID-19.ResultsPregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women routinely faced multiple forms of GBV perpetuated by asylum deterrence policies at all stages of migration (pre-migration, in transit, and in Tijuana). Indefinite wait times to cross the border and inadequate/unsafe shelter exacerbated further vulnerability to GBV. Repeated exposure to GBV contributed to poor mental health among women who reported feelings of fear, isolation, despair, shame, and anxiety. The lack of supports and legal recourse related to GBV in Tijuana highlighted the impact of asylum deterrence policies on this ongoing humanitarian crisis.ConclusionAsylum deterrence policies undermine the health and safety of pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border. There is an urgent need to end U.S. asylum deterrence policies and to provide respectful, appropriate, and adequately resourced humanitarian supports to pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women in border cities, to reduce women’s risk of GBV and trauma.

ABSTRACTObjective. To examine the frequency of depressive symptoms, gender-based violence, and gender-based discrimination among transgender women (TGW) in Lima, Peru, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods. Between May and July 2021, the non-governmental organization Socios En Salud conducted a cross-sectional study to assess depressive symptoms, gender-based discrimination and violence among TGW identified from a prior study database and peer referral. Descriptive statistics were used to report frequencies, and an exploratory bivariate analysis was performed to examine associations between depressive symptoms and participants´ characteristics, including experiences of discrimination and violence. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9; gender-based discrimination and violence were measured using adopted instruments.Results. A total of 112 participants were included in the study. Most TGW reported depressive symptoms (81.2%), experiences of gender-based violence (83.8%), and experiences of gender-based discrimination (95.5%). The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings (p < 0.046) and with experiences of violence (p < 0.046).Conclusions. A high frequency of depressive symptoms, as well as experiences of gender-based discrimination and violence, was observed among TGW in Lima, Peru, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, significant associations were identified between these experiences and the presence of depressive symptoms. These findings are consistent with existing evidence on the mental health impact of the pandemic, but also suggest a disproportionate burden among TGW and highlight the urgent need to address the underlying contributing factors.

An array of literature suggests that is particularly high among Black and Minority Ethnicities, migrant women, those from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and South Asian women. Studies which have been conducted in this field, tend to be from a quantitative stance, not taking much account for individual experiences. Qualitative research which has been conducted tends to place women from South Asian communities into one group which ignores the existing diversities within South Asian communities. As a result, the experiences of migrant Pakistani-Muslim women within the context of maternal distress have been largely overlooked. This research tries to address this gap by attempting to gain a rich understanding of migrant Pakistani-Muslim women's experiences of postnatal depression within motherhood. The research hopes to inform clinical practice and suggests ways of improving supportive services for this group of migrant women. A qualitative approach was used to interview four migrant Pakistani-Muslim women in London aged: 27-39 who subjectively experienced depression during the postnatal period in motherhood. The interview transcripts were analysed based on the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Six main themes emerged from the data: 'experiencing transitions', 'the experience of significant relationships', 'the body and motherhood', living with postnatal distress', the experience and perception of Pakistani culture' and 'patchy provision of good healthcare'. The research findings illustrate that migrant Pakistani-Muslim women's experiences of postnatal depression maybe complex and seem to be a combined product of psychosocial, cultural and physiological issues and stressors. This study highlights the importance of support for migrant Pakistani-Muslim women and how healthcare services could improve to meet their needs, which may ultimately reduce or prevent experiences of maternal distress.

Money-earning activities and empowerment experiences of rural migrant women in the city: The case of turkey

Women and gender-diverse people with disabilities are at an elevated risk of gender-based violence (GBV). This study examines how women and gender-diverse people with disabilities experience GBV and how such experiences impact their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) across the life course. We conducted a community-engaged qualitative study from 2022 to 2023 with women and gender-diverse people with disabilities aged 18 years and older living in Canada. Using an inductive thematic approach, we analyzed 26 semi-structured interviews about experiences of GBV and SRH across the life course, including childhood, the reproductive years, and older adulthood. Disability and GBV intersected over time: GBV experienced earlier in life caused mental health disabilities that impacted subsequent life course stages. Ableism meant participants were targets of violence and made disclosure more difficult. GBV experiences impacted SRH by (a) causing new SRH concerns (e.g., unintended pregnancies and forced abortions); (b) amplifying existing SRH concerns (e.g., endometriosis); (c) influencing reproductive decision-making (e.g., contraception and sterilization); (d) shaping sexual practices and relationships (e.g., engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors and intimacy); and (e) changing interactions with SRH services (e.g., painful pelvic exams). Characteristics of services (e.g., availability of disability-related accommodations) also affected disclosure and trust. These findings highlight the long-lasting impacts of GBV on SRH among women and gender-diverse people with disabilities. There is a need for provider education on disability and GBV, and trauma-informed and disability-affirming SRH services developed and implemented in collaboration with people with lived experiences of disability and GBV.

Refugee and migrant women in prison are likely to have experiences of trauma and gender-based violence, which shape their pathways to prison and impact their experiences in prison. This systematic review analyses the findings of qualitative studies to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of migrant and refugee women before and during imprisonment. The review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA). A systematic search of four academic databases, ProQuest Central, Taylor and Francis Journals, SAGE Journals and APA PsycInfo and web and citation search was carried out between April and October 2022. The search dates for identifying literature were from September 2001 to September 2021. The review’s search strategy identified 3208 articles from 4 databases and 9 studies from web and citation search, of which 11 met the inclusion criteria for the review. Quality appraisal was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Four analytic themes were identified that detail refugee and migrant women’s experiences before and during imprisonment: women’s pathways to imprisonment; health care experiences; intersectional identities and women’s agency in the context of prison experiences. The findings suggest that the current systems of incarceration fail to reflect the complexity of women prisoners’ racial and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, there is a need for a greater understanding of refugee and migrant women’s experiences to promote better institutional and community support for women before and during prison to eliminate their pathways to the prison. There have been a few studies with a focus on refugee and migrant women in prison. This is an area which lacks focus in terms of both research and intervention, and this review will make an important contribution in this regard.

The study explored the gender-based violence (GBV) experiences of Zimbabwean women migrant labourers in South Africa. Specifically, the study aimed to explore the particular vulnerabilities and manifestations of GBV experienced by this group. The study was purely qualitative and employed document analysis as a data collection tool. Content analysis was employed in reading academic literature, government reports, and civil society publications to gather data on Zimbabwean women migrant labourers lived experiences of GBV in South Africa. The data collection involved a careful perusal of the relevant sources for understanding the intersectional dynamics which shape their susceptibility to various acts of violence and exploitation. The study acknowledged that migrant labour of Zimbabwean women was exposed to a higher risk of GBV due to the intersecting dynamics of xenophobia, patriarchal gender power relations, and economic marginalisation. They are exposed to different forms of GBV, including sexual violence, workplace exploitation, and human trafficking, among others. The data highlighted how the intersection of their status as women migrants and, for most of them, as illegal workers amplified their visibility and limited their access to assistance programs and systems of justice. It advocates for an emergent, urgent necessity for the multi-stakeholder effort that will facilitate consolidation of supporting mechanisms, enhance accountability and reporting and respond to structural imbalance that enables these cycles of gender-based violence to persist among migrant women Zimbabweans in South Africa.

IntroductionThis paper examines the relationship between gender-based violence (GBV) and religion in a range of forced displacement contexts. While it has been acknowledged that religion frequently shapes experiences of GBV survivors, little is known about the influences of religion on GBV experiences in forced displacement and its potential role in strengthening interventions.MethodsUtilizing empirical evidence from 58 interviews from the SEREDA project with forced migrants in Sweden, UK, Turkey and Australia, we outline the interactions between religious resources and GBV in migrants' forced displacement experiences. We conceptualise religious resources as comprising religious ideas, religious practices, religious experience and religious organization.ResultsSurvivors talked about religion spontaneously when responding to questions relating to resilience, coping mechanisms, and risk factors. Religion acted as both a “protective” and “risk” factor for GBV experiences. Religious beliefs were assets in coping with GBV experiences, but also contributed to creating an environment in which violence was normalized, exposing women to further harm. Religious practices supported survivors emotionally to cope with GBV but also some practices posed risks. Religious organizations in many cases served as a lifeline for many displaced women, offering practical and emotional support, however religious leaders at times encouraged survivors to stay in abusive relationships. Religious experiences “empowered” and “disempowered” survivors across the processes of forced migration.DiscussionWe demonstrate the relevance and importance of acknowledging the role of religion in the experiences of GBV in forced displacement. Our analysis advances the understanding of religious resources as both protective and risk factors that affect forced migrants' experiences of GBV over time and place. We suggest a way forward for practitioners and researchers to account for the roles of religion in experiences of GBV and forced displacement, as opportunities and barriers to GBV prevention and response, and to work with religious leaders and local faith communities to strengthen protection of survivors.

Background: Our objectives were to estimate the association of gender-based violence (GBV) experience with the risk of sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative women, to compare the STI risks associated with recent and lifetime GBV exposures, and to quantify whether these associations differ by HIV status. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective cohort study in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, 1994-2018. Poisson models were fitted using generalized estimating equations to estimate the association of past 6-month GBV experience (physical, sexual, or intimate partner psychological violence) with subsequent self-reported STI diagnosis (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease, or trichomoniasis). Results: Data from 2868 women who reported recent sexual activity comprised 12,069 person-years. Higher STI risk was observed among HIV-seropositive women (incidence rate [IR] 5.5 per 100 person-years) compared with HIV-seronegative women (IR 4.3 per 100 person-years). Recent GBV experience was associated with a 1.28-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99, 1.65) risk after adjustment for HIV status and relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and sexual risk variables. Other important risk factors for STI acquisition included unstable housing (adjusted incidence rate ratio [AIRR] 1.81, 95% CI 1.32-2.46), unemployment (AIRR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.76), transactional sex (AIRR 2.06, 95% CI 1.52-2.80), and drug use (AIRR 1.44, 95% CI 1.19-1.75). Recent physical violence contributed the highest risk of STI acquisition among HIV-seronegative women (AIRR 2.27, 95% CI 1.18-4.35), whereas lifetime GBV experience contributed the highest risk among HIV-seropositive women (AIRR 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.10). Conclusions: GBV prevention remains an important public health goal with direct relevance to women's sexual health.

Participatory Health Research (PHR) has the potential to result in more equitable health interventions and impactful research outcomes, and is an increasingly used paradigm in migrant health research. In the context of intersecting systems of social disadvantage imposed on migrant and refugee women, PHR could offer an opportunity for researchers to challenge unequal power dynamics in academic research by co-creating knowledge to improve these women’s healthcare access and use. However, there is limited information about how PHR has been conducted with migrant women, including the extent of their involvement throughout the research process. This scoping review aimed to describe and summarize current evidence on the research approaches and methods that have been used in PHR with women of migrant and refugee backgrounds living in high-income countries, and the extent of community engagement in PHR with this population. We searched MEDLINE Ovid, CINHAL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2021 to identify qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies adopting a PHR approach with migrant women as participants. We included 91 studies from 12 countries. Health topics of included studies included: knowledge, screening and prevention of HPV, cervical and breast cancer, mental health, nutrition and physical activity, gender-based violence, and health promotion and education. The most common PHR approaches were Community-Based Participatory Research and participatory action research. Overall, community engagement was commonly reported in most stages of research; however, participatory engagement with migrant women was more often done by proxy through community organisations or agents, rather than women themselves. We argue that more rigorous reporting of community engagement is necessary to demonstrate PHR conducted with migrant women is following the principles of equity and inclusion in community-academic partnerships.

The risk of gender-based violence (GBV) against migrant women is largely exacerbated by precarious employment opportunities available to them as they go through the resettlement process. Despite the risk that the connection of precarious employment and GBV pose to migrant women’s health and wellbeing, critical gaps exist in literature. Our scoping review sought to identify and synthesize evidence on the interconnectedness of GBV and precarious employment among migrant women. Six electronic databases were searched for empirical literature and two reviewers independently conducted title/abstract and full text screening of studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data synthesis was guided by the intersectionality theory and the Feminist Political Economy framework. 50 articles met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Our findings reveal that precarious employment plays both a catalytic and consequential role in GBV. Findings highlighted how post-migration shifts in gender roles, schedule unpredictability leading to work-life imbalance, and debt bondage trap migrant women in cycles of exploitation and abuse. Few studies highlighted how human trafficking is intertwined with precarious labor markets, where the exploitation and abuse of migrant women mirror the characteristics of human trafficking. This review underscores the urgent need for integrated policy responses that are not only focused on individual supports but also address the structural drivers or labor precarity and protect migrant women from GBV and human trafficking. By applying an intersectional lens, policies and intervention programs can tackle systemic oppression across economic, and social systems essential in reducing exploitation and abuse to advance migrant women’s wellbeing.