Intimate partner violence among speaking immigrant adult Portuguese women in Canada

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to understand the experiences of intimate partner violence among women from Portuguese-speaking countries living in the Greater Toronto Area. Method: A social phenomenological study was conducted with ten Portuguesespeaking women who had experienced intimate partner violence who were selected by community centre leaders. The interviews were transcribed, translated and analysed by categories. Results: The consequences of violence included health problems, effects on children, and negative feelings among the victims. Factors preventing the women from leaving abusive partners included religious beliefs, challenging daily jobs, and the need to take care of their husband. Factors that encouraged them to leave included getting support and calling the police. Some women expressed hope for the future either with their husband. Others, desired divorce or revenge. Their plans to rebuild their lives without their husband included being happy, learning English, and being financially stable. Conclusion: Using these findings can implicate in the improvement of care for these women. DESCRIPTORS

A Scoping Review on Intimate Partner Violence in Canada’s Immigrant Communities

“…Further investigations therefore should include immigrant women from cultural backgrounds other than South Asia, including immigrant women from European/developed countries. Only Souto et al (2016aSouto et al ( , 2016b and Barata et al (2005) conducted research on women who migrated from Europe, both focusing on Portuguese immigrant women. Additionally, Brownridge and Halli (2002), who conducted secondary analyses based on Canada's GSS data from 1999, made a comparison between immigrant women who migrated from both developed and developing countries.…”

“…The mandatory removal of abusive partners from households is, indeed, problematic, as it does not correspond with immigrant women's distinct situations. While some immigrant women do not want to leave their abusive husbands based on, among other factors, their cultural values and beliefs (Souto et al, Guruge, Merighi, & de Jesus, 2016a, 2016bTakano, 2006), others simply cannot leave their spouses for economic reasons or due to citizenship requirements (Alaggia, Regehr, & Rishchynski, 2009;Lucknauth, 2014;Thurston et al, 2013). As Alaggia et al (2009) pointed out, immigrant women who are sponsored by their partners depend on them and often have no other choice than to stay in their abusive relationships and use internally based coping strategies to deal with their situations.…”

Victimización y perpetración de violencia en pareja adolescente y redes de apoyo en Colombia. Análisis con perspectiva de género

“…La VGCP responde a un proceso que inicia con la instauración de la dominación masculina en la relación, siendo unas de sus primeras estrategias el progresivo aislamiento social y familiar de la mujer y el debilitamiento de sus redes informales, las potenciales fuentes de AS. Varios estudios han identificado la capacidad mediadora del AS en el impacto negativo de la VGCP y en la elaboración de estrategias femeninas y alternativas vitales sin violencia (Guruge, Thomson, George & Chaze, 2015;Lee et al, 2007;Queiroga-Souto et al, 2016).…”

Coping strategies for domestic violence: Testimony of women involved with drugs

“…4 Although genuinely peaceful, the divorce, strategy also revealed in the study, can be configured as a risk of death. 22 Although divorce is among the main forms of coping with domestic violence chosen by women in Canada, 23 this has been a risky decision, given the increased risk of aggression and femicide in this period. 21 This phenomenon, rooted in gender inequality, is based precisely on the socially naturalized belief that men own women.…”