Barriers and facilitators to effective coverage of Intimate Partner Violence services for immigrant women in Spain

Abstract

Objective To explore service providers' perceptions in order to identify barriers and facilitators to effective coverage of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) services for immigrant women in Spain, according to the different categories proposed in Tanahashi's model of effective coverage.Methods A qualitative study based on 29 in-depth personal interviews and four group interviews with a total of 43 professionals working in public services (social and health-care services, women's refuges, the police force, the judiciary) and NGOs in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Alicante (Spain) in 2011.Findings Current IPV services in Spain partially fail in their coverage of abused immigrant women due to barriers of (i) availability, such as the inexistence of culturally appropriate services; (ii) accessibility, as having a residence permit is a prerequisite for women's access to different services and rights; (iii) acceptability, such as women's lack of confidence in the effectiveness of services; and (iv) effectiveness, for example, lack of specific training among professionals on the issues of IPV and immigration. However, interviewees also identified facilitators, such as the enabling environment promoted by the Spanish Law on Gender-Based Violence (1/2004), and the impetus it has provided for the development of other specific legislative tools to address IPV in immigrant populations in Spain (availability, accessibility and effectiveness).Conclusion Whilst not dismissing cultural barriers, aspects related to service structure are identified by providers as the main barriers and facilitators to immigrant women use of IPV services. Despite noteworthy achievements, improvements are still required in terms of mainstreaming assistance tailored to immigrant women's needs in IPV policies and services.

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among South Asian Women Living in Southern Ontario

“…It should be noted, however, that providing appropriate support to South Asian women who have experienced IPV may require special considerations. For example, potential language barriers, lack of accessibility of health services, legal services, and social support services, and culture need to be taken into account to ensure that appropriate support is available and accessible [22][23][24]. There is evidence that social services are underutilized by South Asian women and other ethnic minorities in North America [22,23] so efforts must be made to be inclusive of all women.…”

Cultural alienation: A concept analysis

“…Findings from this concept analysis showed that immigrant and refugee women experienced cultural alienation from health care providers and struggled finding adequate health care and shelter for themselves and their children 17,18,26 . Nurses can support these women by making warm referrals to different groups, 1 but not limited to migrant organizations, Women Infant and Children (WIC) programmes, refugee cultural centers, and churches to increase sociocultural integration and reduce potential consequences of acculturative stress.…”

“…In order for someone to experience cultural alienation, there has to be at least one majority and minority group involved. It is derived from two different senses (a) biological characteristics 17–24 like race or sex and (b) values 19,20,23–30 such as tastes or preferences. Its main antecedents were the following: (1) Identification with racial or ethnic minority group; (2) Sexual minority; (3) Disability; (4) Chronic illness; (5) Insufficient and inadequate sense of belonging, community, or refuge; (6) Nontraditional health‐care practices and preferences; and (7) Threat to loss of way of life and culture.…”

Intimate partner violence among speaking immigrant adult Portuguese women in Canada

“…These factors plus the understanding of their legal options, were important elements in helping women move out of abusive relationships (29) . Schutz's concept of 'social action' links an individual's choice of action to the actions of others: IPV victims might do nothing because they saw no positive support available to them; or they might do something if they felt that others' (police, doctor, social worker) actions would positively influence the outcome of their action.…”