Abstract
The issue of spousal abuse among immigrant women in Toronto and the silence surrounding it is important to address because it is a problem that is often trivialized. This qualitative study involves semi-structured interviews with 10 intergenerational Ghanaian women living in the Greater Toronto Area who have been affected by spousal abuse. The interviews focused on their experiences, coping strategies, and the resources that helped or could have been helpful in their healing process. The study results indicate that there is a connection between spousal abuse and the development of depression, which confirms the findings from previous literature on spousal abuse. In addition, the study results also reveal that the lack of accessible information abroad was a barrier towards seeking help. Recommendations that may help Ghanaian women living in the Greater Toronto Area seek and utilize formal support and counselling services are presented. Key words: Access to services, Ghanaian women, mental health, resilience, spousal abuse
Highlights
As the most prevalent form of violence against women (The World Bank, 2017), spousal abuse is pervasive, widespread and often a hidden reality in Canadian society, for immigrant, ethnic minority women
A qualitative research approach was used for this study because of the limited knowledge that is available on Ghanaian women in the Greater Toronto Area about their experiences of spousal abuse and the exploratory nature of my research, an interpretive approach of phenomenological research was used for this study because it allowed me to gather descriptive, in-depth information about each woman’s lived experiences of coping with abuse, while disclosing the content and meaning of the behaviours that were unique to their lives (Ting, 2010)
This research has shown the impact spousal abuse has on Ghanaian women in Greater Toronto Area, their coping strategies, and the importance of accessing and utilizing formal support and counselling services when it comes to coping with the effects of spousal abuse
Summary
As the most prevalent form of violence against women (The World Bank, 2017), spousal abuse is pervasive, widespread and often a hidden reality in Canadian society, for immigrant, ethnic minority women. The culture of silence contributes to the perpetuation of violence against women. This increases the difficulty for Ghanaian immigrant women to vocalize their experiences of abuse and seek formal support when they experience spousal abuse in Canada. Given these challenges of help-seeking among women of Ghanaian origin in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), it is important that the service sector understands what can be done to help Ghanaian women living in the GTA to seek and utilize formal support and counselling services. A review of the literature related to this subject matter is discussed, followed by the historical context of Ghanaian immigration to Canada. Throughout this paper, I will refer to my study participants as women who have experienced spousal abuse, in order to avoid labelling the women as victims or survivors
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