Reimagining the Convoluted Plights of Refugee, Immigrant and Undocumented Immigrant Women: Implications for the Reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women's Act of 1994 in the United States

Buster C Ogbuagu Buster C Ogbuagu

doi:10.37256/ser.222021601

Abstract

Background: Violence against women exists, is entrenched and shares commonalities among all cultures and societies, regardless of their level of civilization or the lack thereof. This act, which in some societies has now been recognized, therefore currently perceived, defined and interrogated as socially problematic is committed mostly by men, especially intimate partners and significant others, regardless of demography. Violence Against Women as an aberrant type of relationship interaction exists as a phenomenon that has largely been socially constructed, perpetrated, sustained and reproduced mostly by men. Although, and as a gender discourse, all women are recipients or potential recipients of violence perpetrated predominantly by men, however, new immigrant and refugee women remain at the apex as recipients of all sorts of violence, especially Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Method: This study applied phenomenological interviews to explore how violence, particularly IPV against refugee women, including how the risk and propensities are further heightened and complicated by subjectivity labels. These labels include gender, race, socioeconomic, including undocumented immigrant status and language in host countries and continents, such as the United States, Canada and Europe. Results: The study found that IPV has serious ramifications for the physical and mental health of all affected women and their children, but presents a specially complicated problem for refugee and undocumented immigrant women as they strive to adapt to their host countries and environments. The study further evaluated new and existing policies, including the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and its various reauthorizations, as well as evidence-based modalities that attempt to interrogate and attenuate this aberrant interactional process. Conclusion/Recommendations: It also explored policy recommendations that can be engaged in the sustainable protection of women, already victims of violence and those at high risk, but especially new immigrant, refugee and undocumented immigrant women, who have been socially, economically, culturally and linguistically deracinated by migration and refugee creating events.

Highlights

For as long as anyone cares to remember, women have borne the brunt of the vagaries of a patriarchal society, as chattel (Jones, 2012; Wenger, 1992) and non-persons in all cultures and civilizations (Kuerstein, 2003; Gaspar, 1996)
At the worst, the entry of the variables of gender, race, immigration status-documented, but especially undocumented, socioeconomic and language status, create multi discomfitures for the refugee woman. In light of this finding, this study is not just about women and their tribulations that are derivatives of power, patriarchy, family and intimate partner violence, for much have and continue to be written about it. It is about constructing a framework for articulating, interrogating and sustainably dismantling the aforementioned subjectivity labels-gender, refugee, undocumented, displaced, socially and culturally deracinated, language barriers and other issues, which in concert promote, heighten and sustain the risk, incidence and reproduction of violence against refugee women. sustainable policy recommendations are proffered to expeditiously end or at the least, attenute the tide of Intimate Partner Violence, especially those perpetrated against refugee, immigrant and undocumented immigrant women in the United States and across the globe
Intimate partner violence has been in existence since human history as an aberrant form of interaction, but especially the exercise of raw and unjust power against those who are vulnerable, especially women (Jones, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

For as long as anyone cares to remember, women have borne the brunt of the vagaries of a patriarchal society, as chattel (Jones, 2012; Wenger, 1992) and non-persons in all cultures and civilizations (Kuerstein, 2003; Gaspar, 1996). At the worst, the entry of the variables of gender, race, immigration status-documented, but especially undocumented, socioeconomic and language status, create multi discomfitures for the refugee woman In light of this finding, this study is not just about women and their tribulations that are derivatives of power, patriarchy, family and intimate partner violence, for much have and continue to be written about it. It is about constructing a framework for articulating, interrogating and sustainably dismantling the aforementioned subjectivity labels-gender, refugee, undocumented, displaced, socially and culturally deracinated, language barriers and other issues, which in concert promote, heighten and sustain the risk, incidence and reproduction of violence against refugee women. Conclusion/Recommendations: It explored policy recommendations that can be engaged in the sustainable protection of women, already victims of violence and those at high risk, but especially new immigrant, refugee and undocumented immigrant women, who have been socially, economically, culturally and linguistically deracinated by migration and refugee creating events

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion