Double jeopardy Violence against immigrant women in the home
Year: 1996
Type: preprint
Abstract: Violence against women has received much attention in recent years, however, the particular problems faced by immigrant women have been less investigated. To obtain more insight into this group information was gathered from immigrant survivors, legal aid parctitioners, ethnic welfare workers, refuge staff and the police. In comparison to marital violence and its correlates among the Australian-born, there appears to be an increased scope for emotional and financial abuses to take place, greater difficulties in naming sexual violence, lesser involvement of alcohol and unemployment, and in some cases, the experience of migration and traditional cultural values play a role. The study also confirms previous indications that leaving the violent marriage may be more problematic for immigrant women. Cultural pressures to remain in the marriage are coupled with isolation and a lack of awareness about the resources available and the relevant legislation. These problems may be exacerbated for brides in arranged marriages and Asian women sponsored by non-Asian men. The paper includes a number of recommendations for ameliorating the plight of these specific groups plus other immigrant survivors with an emphasis upon the need for improved communication about laws, rights and services directed both to the women and the ethnic communities.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Patricia Easteal
Institution: University of Canberra
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1657144116