New lives, new challenges: access to intimate partner violence services for portuguese-speaking immigrant women

Sepali Guruge; Margareth S. Zanchetta; Brenda Roche; Stephanie Pedrotti Lucchese

doi:10.5216/ree.v21.55653

Authors

Sepali Guruge Ryerson University
Margareth S. Zanchetta Ryerson University
Brenda Roche Wellesley Institute
Stephanie Pedrotti Lucchese Ryerson University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/ree.v21.55653

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a global health issue and the most common form of violence experienced by women. This study explored barriers to accessing help to Intimate partner violence related health services among Portuguese-speaking immigrant women in Toronto, Canada. Exploratory study conducted by a survey and focus group discussions with 12 Portuguese-speaking immigrant women. Results clarify the struggles faced by Portuguese-speaking immigrant women and their pathways to care and help-seeking. Participants reported that the fear of being deported, obtaining evidence of abuse, and lack of language-specific services were the key barriers to seeking help. When available, language-specific community-based services, along with faith and religion, were noted as key factors that supported women’s resilience. Nurses who provide care and services to women who are dealing with Intimate partner violence should rethink the scope of their advocacy actions toward addressing these structural barriers by building alliances with organizations to better serve and protect women in such vulnerable situations.

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Author Biographies

Sepali Guruge, Ryerson University

Sepali Guruge’s program of research focuses on the health of immigrants who constitute a significant proportion of urban communities in Canada.

Within this broader program of research, she has investigated a range of key health concerns including mental health, HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular health, tuberculosis, and interpersonal violence, in the context of the health inequities resulting from:

socio-economic marginalization
limited access to healthcare
education, employment, and language training
housing insecurity
unsafe neighbourhoods
racism and discrimination

Her research program connects these key local urban health concerns to those occurring at global levels. To this end, she has worked on a number of related projects with colleagues in several other countries.

Margareth S. Zanchetta, Ryerson University

Margareth Zanchetta teaches community health nursing. Her research program in Canada and Brazil explores health literacy under conditions of social marginalization and linguistic minorities as factors of social vulnerability, men’s health, and oncology nursing. She uses diverse qualitative methods of research in her studies in Brazil and Canada, with populations who speak English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Mentoring students in research is one of her major activities, responding to their requests for an opportunity to “learn by doing” with her. She mentored two teams of students who successfully earned the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada-Students for Development Grant (2008; 2011) for social development internships in Brazil. She is an Associate Member of RU- Centre for Global Health & Health Equity, Nursing Community of Practice – Research (Cancer Care Ontario), Collaborator Member, Research Group Migration et Ethnicité dans les Interventions de Santé et de Service social. She also collaborates with the Ontario Network of French-speaking health and social professionals. Zanchetta is an invited reviewer for several Canadian and international journals, as well as for grant agencies. Current activities include the development of the Canada-South-Central America Research Network on Men’s Health Promotion.

Brenda Roche, Wellesley Institute

Brenda Roche is Director of Research at the Wellesley Institute. She was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Anthropology and Health at the Gender, Violence and Health Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has an academic and community-based research experience exploring social and health issues in urban settings, including homelessness, sexual health, violence and psychological trauma and distress. Her doctorate, through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, examined discourses on trauma that operate within the context of refugee resettlement, and how these influence health and social care practices for women (and their families) seeking political asylum in the United Kingdom.

Stephanie Pedrotti Lucchese, Ryerson University

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Mental Health and Addictions in an Innercity health hospital in Toronto, Canada. Currently completeing Masters in Nursing at Ryerson University.

New lives, new challenges: access to intimate partner violence services for portuguese-speaking immigrant women

Authors

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