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Focusing on Empowerment:

Lessons Learned from Working With Abused Women from

Ethnocultural Communities

Farishta Murzban DinshawCommunity Development Worker

COSTI Immigrant Services

COSTI Immigrant Services is a community-based multicultural agency providing employment, educational, settlement and social services to all immigrant communities, new Canadians and individuals in need of assistance.

COSTI ServicesThis presentation is informed by the work done through COSTI’s Family and Mental Health Services:

• ongoing information and education to ethnocultural communities on woman, child and elder abuse prevention

• culturally appropriate crisis counselling and support groups for women of Italian heritage

• treatment group for Spanish-speaking women who have experienced trauma

Importance of Defining ViolenceCultural context of violence

• “Husband’s right” part of patriarchy• Parenting style – “spare the rod and spoil

the child”• Women’s role as maintainers of family

honour

Controlling behaviours often not seen as violence, but as “protective” behavior

Importance of Defining Violence Continued

Violent behaviour vs. abusive behaviour• Violence often seen as physically harmful or

intimidating behaviour; other forms not recognized

• Labeling forced sex within an intimate relationship as abuse important

• Recognizing controlling behaviour as abuse

Additional dilemmas in defining violence

• Intent – is it abuse if the partner means to “protect honour of the family”?

• Frequency – is it abuse if the partner resorts to aggression when he “loses control” because he is drunk?

• Injury – is looking through partner’s personal belongings without permission abuse?

• Perspective – is it abuse if the earning partner makes financial decisions for the dependant partner?

Vulnerable Women•First generation immigrants

• Sponsored family members• Family members of principal applicants• Economic immigrants

•Second generation women of colour•Refugee women•Live-in Caregivers•Undocumented women•Trafficked women

What makes them vulnerable?• Dependence on their spouse for status in

Canada • Financial dependency• Isolation • Absence of family support• Unfamiliarity with the Canadian system• Misconception that they will have to pay for

services

What makes them vulnerable?• Lack of language skills, absence of professional

interpretation and translation facilities • May experience abuse for the first time• General mistrust of authority based on

experiences in their country of origin

Poverty, disability, sexual orientation may be additional barriers.

Service ContinuumPr

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Post

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Pre-Crisis Awareness and Prevention

Outreach

Empowerment

Empowerment: Self-worthInsidious social messages deplete women’s self-worth

Policy implications:Programs and campaigns that:

• encourage positive body image

• illustrate healthy relationships

• provide opportunities to build support networks

• provide education so women can be financially self-sufficient

Empowerment: Awareness

Many immigrant women are unfamiliar with their legal and constitutional rights in Canada

Policy Implications:Practical rights-based awareness campaigns supported by corresponding services, adequate budgets and skilled ethno-linguistic service providers

Empowerment: AccessImmigrant women have limited access to information, services and opportunities

Policy implications:• An analysis of systemic barriers• A concentrated outreach effort to reach women

who do not come to agencies• Recognition that provision of transit costs & child

care are significant to women accessing services

Empowerment: EngagementImmigrant women face barriers in participating to shape laws and policies, programs and services

Policy Implications:• Opportunities for volunteering in decision making

roles (school committees, boards)• Education about how the government works; voting• Education on voicing opinions (writing to MPs,

petitions, surveys)

Contact InformationFarishta Dinshaw

Community Development Workerdinshaw@costi.org

COSTI Immigrant Services1700 Wilson Avenue, Suite 105, PO Box 90

Toronto, ON M3L 1B2Tel: 416-244-7714, Ext. 272