“The pandemic made us stop and think about who we are and what we want:” Using intersectionality to understand migrant and refugee women’s experiences of gender-based violence during COVID-19

Abstract

Background Migrant and refugee women have faced a myriad of challenges during COVID-19, which are often exacerbated by the interaction between this population’s diverse identities and established systems in the local context. This qualitative study uses the lens of intersectionality to understand migrant and refugee women’s experiences of gender-based violence and access to and quality of support services in Italy during the first year of COVID-19. Methods Data were gathered from 51 key informant interviews and eight focus group discussions of 31 participants. Key informants included service providers across sectors, including gender-based violence and anti-violence organizations, government and law, health, psychology, social work, and anti-trafficking administration. Focus group participants were migrant and refugee women aged 18–65 from the following countries of origin: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, El Salvador, Gambia, Ghana, Honduras, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, and Syria. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded using a collaborative process with partners from UNICEF. Transcripts were then evaluated for arising themes using three methods of intersectionality analysis. Results Data analysis revealed how COVID-19 converged with sexism, racism, and xenophobia in Italy, leading to increased public and domestic violence against refugee and migrant women. Another prominent theme was the exacerbated vulnerability for refugee and migrant women in precarious socioeconomic situations, which prompted many service providers to recognize and address gaps in service offerings and coordination around basic needs. However, due to resource constraints and bias, providers did not systematically incorporate inclusive language and cultural mediation into remote and online services, creating a heightened barrier to access for non-Italian women despite their complex needs. As such, refugee and migrant women highlighted community-based solidarity and support as protective factors during lockdown periods. Conclusion Findings emphasize how overlapping dominant sociocultural and socioeconomic systems impacted refugee and migrant women’s experiences of violence during COVID-19 in Italy, and how some support services were unprepared to respond to the complex needs of diverse, newcomer populations. We discuss how policymakers and practitioners might consider intersectionality in their preparedness and response planning for gender-based violence services during health emergencies moving forward.

Sexual health challenges in migrant, immigrant, and displaced populations 2022–2023

“…The Bangladeshi government, however, deemed sexual and GBV services as nonessential during COVID-19, impeding the ability of providers to continue service provision [67]. An Italian study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic converged with sexism, racism, and xenophobia, resulting in increased harassment and domestic violence against migrant and refugee women; provider and system constraints made access to remote sexual health services particularly difficult [9].…”

“…Destination countries may attempt to limit migration flows through securitization, forced encampment and policies that criminalize attempted irregular border crossing. These strategies place migrant people, especially women and girls, at risk of violence, exploitation and forced labour and exacerbate existing health disparities [6][7][8][9]. Transit itself often increases health needs due to perilous physical conditions, erosion of social and financial support mechanisms, and limited access to basic health services [10,11].…”

Danger Zone or Newfound Freedoms: Exploring Women and Girls’ Experiences in the Virtual Space during COVID-19 in Iraq

“…The data analysis procedures described here are part of a larger, mixed-methods research study that was conducted in four countries: Iraq, Italy, Guatemala, and Brazil. The aim of the larger study was to understand women and girls’ experiences of safety and well-being as well as their access to and availability and quality of GBV services [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. The study also sought to understand service adaptations made by providers to promote continuity of service in the face of public health control measures.…”

Using an intersectionality approach to transform health services for overlooked healthcare users and workers after covid-19

“… 23 In Canada, an intersectional analysis of factors that affected access of minority immigrants to emergency/urgent care sought to understand migrant and refugee women’s experience of gender based violence during the pandemic. 26 27 A cohort study examining the intersectionality of obesity, chronic disease, social factors, and incident risk of covid-19 among low income, middle aged minority mothers in the United States showed who was being left out by current measures and was most at risk of covid-19. 28 Despite these examples, little primary research has been done that gives contextualised information about how pandemic measures affected health users and health workers.…”