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Ramage K, Stirling-Cameron E, Ramos NE, Martinez SanRoman I, Bojorquez I, Spata A, Baltazar Lujano B, Goldenberg SM. "When you leave your country, this is what you're in for": experiences of structural, legal, and gender-based violence among asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1699. [PMID: 37659997 PMCID: PMC10474729 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16538-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent U.S. immigration policy has increasingly focused on asylum deterrence and has been used extensively to rapidly deport and deter asylum-seekers, leaving thousands of would-be asylum-seekers waiting indefinitely in Mexican border cities, a large and growing proportion of whom are pregnant and parenting women. In the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, these women are spending unprecedented durations waiting under unsafe humanitarian conditions to seek safety in the U.S, with rising concerns regarding increases in gender-based violence (GBV) among this population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given existing gaps in evidence, we aimed to describe the lived experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies among pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border. METHODS Within the community-based Maternal and Infant Health for Refugee & Asylum-Seeking Women (MIHRA) study, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 30 asylum-seeking women in Tijuana, Mexico between June and December 2022. Eligible women had been pregnant or postpartum since March 2020, were 18-49 years old, and migrated for the purposes of seeking asylum in the U.S. Drawing on conceptualizations of structural and legal violence, we conducted a thematic analysis of participants' experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies and COVID-19. RESULTS Pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women routinely faced multiple forms of GBV perpetuated by asylum deterrence policies at all stages of migration (pre-migration, in transit, and in Tijuana). Indefinite wait times to cross the border and inadequate/unsafe shelter exacerbated further vulnerability to GBV. Repeated exposure to GBV contributed to poor mental health among women who reported feelings of fear, isolation, despair, shame, and anxiety. The lack of supports and legal recourse related to GBV in Tijuana highlighted the impact of asylum deterrence policies on this ongoing humanitarian crisis. CONCLUSION Asylum deterrence policies undermine the health and safety of pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border. There is an urgent need to end U.S. asylum deterrence policies and to provide respectful, appropriate, and adequately resourced humanitarian supports to pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women in border cities, to reduce women's risk of GBV and trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylee Ramage
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Emma Stirling-Cameron
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Isela Martinez SanRoman
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Latin American Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ietza Bojorquez
- Department of Population Studies, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Arianna Spata
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Latin American Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Shira M Goldenberg
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA.
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Bradby H, Papoutsi A, Hourani J, Akyuz S, Phillimore J. Something is (still) missing? Feminist services for forced migrants surviving sexual and gender-based violence in Sweden, Australia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. WOMENS STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
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Tirado V, Ekström AM, Orsini N, Hanson C, Strömdahl S. Knowledge of the abortion law and key legal issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights among recently arrived migrants in Sweden: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:551. [PMID: 36959645 PMCID: PMC10035217 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including access and information on the laws and policies related to abortion, varies considerably between countries. Migrants may have limited knowledge of SRHR and related resources in their new country. This study investigates migrants’ knowledge of the right to safe and legal abortion and other associated factors including the recent law on sexual consent, the legal age for sexual consent and age to marry in Sweden. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from 2018 to 2019 among recent migrants attending high schools or Swedish language schools. Descriptive statistics were computed on the knowledge of the Swedish abortion law and other legal aspects. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess if migrants’ socio-demographic characteristics were associated with knowledge (i.e. correct/incorrect) of the Swedish abortion law and other key SRHR-related legal issues. Results Of the total 6,263 participants, 3,557 (57%) responded about whether it is legal to have an induced abortion in Sweden, and of these, 2,632 (74%) answered incorrectly. While more than half (61%) of the respondents knew the sexual consent law, nearly half (48%) did not know that sexual consent is also required for married couples. About 90% correctly responded that it is illegal to have sex with a minor (under the age of 15) and were aware of the legal age (18 years) to marry in Sweden. Incorrect knowledge of the Swedish abortion law was associated with being religious (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42–3.15), not having previous sexual health education (AOR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.38–2.05), coming from a country with predominantly restrictive abortion laws (AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.16–1.84), low level of education (AOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.04–1.61) and having a temporary residence permit (AOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02–1.57). Conclusion We found a substantial lack of knowledge among migrants of reproductive age in Sweden regarding important laws and policies of SRHR, particularly the right to abortion. SRHR-related programmes and comprehensive sexual health education for recently arrived migrants could include components to increase knowledge of legal and safe abortions and other laws concerning SRHR. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-15399-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Tirado
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Mia Ekström
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- grid.416648.90000 0000 8986 2221Department of Infectious Diseases, Venhälsan, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicola Orsini
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Hanson
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Susanne Strömdahl
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Medical Sciences, Infectious Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Cubero A, Garrido R. “Ain’t I a Woman?”: Feminist Participatory Action-Research with African Migrant Women Living in Spain. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12134-023-01020-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThere is a growing trend towards a feminization of migration which calls for an urgent intersectional analysis in migration and integration research. Migrant women are exposed to numerous barriers that make difficult to participate in host communities due to the intersections between their gender, ethnicity, migratory status, etc. These barriers range from structural to daily discrimination in the shape of sexism and racism, particularly for women from regions further south of Africa. Undertaken in collaboration with a local NGO in Southern Spain, this study aims to approach African migrant women’s experiences and to promote agency and participation in host communities. It was framed in Feminist Participatory Action-Research (FPAR) based on photovoice. The participants (n = 15) generated and shared photo-narratives about their daily experiences during five sessions that were participatively analyzed, classified into four themes as follows: (1) migratory projects; (2) violence and discrimination; (3) health and social care; and (4) to be and resist as an African migrant woman. Photovoice was valued as a safe, non-hierarchical, and caring environment that promoted agency in participants and reflexivity in researchers. Our results highlight the importance and necessity on undertaking FPAR in collaboration with social organizations for emancipatory research praxis and put the emphasis on photovoice as a transformational method.
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Flynn K, Mathias B. “How Am I Supposed to Act?”: Adapting Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to Understand the Developmental Impacts of Multiple Forms of Violence. JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/07435584231159674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Experiences of and exposures to violence impact older adolescents and young adults in a myriad of ways. While typically conceptualized as interpersonal, other forms of violence, namely, structural and symbolic, can be harmful to development for this population. This study utilized qualitative methodologies, including ethnographic field notes and interviews, to capture the ways in which 12 young persons aged 16 to 20 from Philadelphia experience and conceptualize multiple forms of violence across neighborhood contexts. In total, 85 interviews and over 100 hours of field observations were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from this study demonstrate that multiple forms of violence are experienced and impact how young adults make meaning of their life experiences. Importantly, our study explores how these forms of violence occur in tandem across contexts. Whereby, aspects of young adult development and well-being are shaped by violence across the micro, meso, and macro systems with which they interact. Implications of this work include adapting Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to include multiple forms of violence so that practitioners and researchers can better understand how forms of violence are enacted and the associated impacts on young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalen Flynn
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Kandilige L, Teye JK, Setrana M, Badasu DM. ‘They'd beat us with whatever is available to them’: Exploitation and abuse of Ghanaian domestic workers in the Middle East. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/imig.13096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Kofi Teye
- Centre for Migration Studies University of Ghana Legon, Accra Ghana
| | - Mary Setrana
- Centre for Migration Studies University of Ghana Legon, Accra Ghana
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Hourani J, Jarallah Y, Block K, Murray L, Chen J, Hach M, Vaughan C. How structural and symbolic violence during resettlement impacts the social and mental wellbeing of forced migrant women: the lived experiences of Arabic speaking survivors of IPV resettled in Melbourne, Australia. Confl Health 2022; 16:59. [PMID: 36369087 PMCID: PMC9652810 DOI: 10.1186/s13031-022-00494-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Forced migrant women experience high levels of violence across their journeys and violence can be characterised as having three overarching forms: structural, symbolic, and interpersonal. It is important to understand the intersecting nature of gendered forms of symbolic, structural and interpersonal violence, and their impact on the mental health of forced migrant women in order to develop holistic IPV and resettlement programs and interventions. This article adopts an ecological framework of violence and qualitative methods with mental health service providers and survivors of IPV to understand the intersections of different forms of violence and their impact on mental health as they relate to the lived experiences of Arabic-speaking forced migrant survivors currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. Our research has three key findings: (1) that forced migrant women living in Melbourne, Australia experience intersecting forms of violence during resettlement (2) Structural and symbolic violence against forced migrant women persists regardless of marital status (3) Autonomy and independence plays a vital role in the mental health and wellbeing of forced migrant women. Our findings reveal that structural and symbolic violence increase the risk of IPV for forced migrant women during resettlement and that even when forced migrant women leave IPV situations, structural and symbolic violence persist and exacerbate mental ill-health. This article also reveals the importance autonomy and independence in both the perpetration of violence and in healing and recovery.
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Phillimore J, Block K, Bradby H, Ozcurumez S, Papoutsi A. Forced Migration, Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Integration: Effects, Risks and Protective Factors. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12134-022-00970-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis paper is the first to use empirical evidence to directly examine the relationship between sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and multi-dimensional processes of integration of forced migrant SGBV survivors. While it is acknowledged that forced migrants are subjected to a continuum of violence, including SGBV, during the refugee journey, little is known about the long-term impact of SGBV and how it might be mitigated. Our paper, drawing on empirical evidence from 255 interviews with migrants and stakeholders in Australia, the UK, Sweden and Turkey, documented in detail the complex interactions between SGBV and integration using the Indicators of Integration framework. By bringing together the literature on the continuum of violence, SGBV and the Indicators of Integration framework, we identify, on the one hand, the impact of SGBV on integration, and, on the other, how the indicators framework can be used to identify protective and risk factors for forced migrant survivors.
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