scholarly journals Family Matters: Immigrant Women’s Activism in Ontario and British Columbia, 1960s -1980s

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-123
Author(s):  
Margaret Little ◽  
Lynne Sorrel Marks ◽  
Marin Beck ◽  
Emma Paszat ◽  
Liza Tom
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
English Language ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Reproductive Rights ◽  
Women's Shelters ◽  
Women’S Shelters ◽  
Gender Based

This article uses oral history interviews to explore the ways in which different attitudes towards family and motherhood could create major tensions between mainstream feminists and immigrant women’s activists in Ontario and British Columbia between the 1960s and the 1980s.  Immigrant women’s belief in the value of the family did not prevent immigrant women from going out to work to help support their families or accessing daycare and women’s shelters, hard fought benefits of the women’s movement.  However, these women demanded access to job training, English language classes, childcare, and women’s shelters on their own terms, in ways that minimized the racism they faced, respected religious and cultural values, and respected the fact that the heterosexual family remained an important resource for the majority of immigrant women.  Immigrant women activists were less likely to accept a purely gender-based analysis than mainstream feminists. They often sought to work with men in their own communities, even in dealing with violence against women. And issues of violence and of reproductive rights often could not be understood only within the boundaries of Canada. For immigrant women violence against women was often analyzed in relation to political violence in their homelands, while demands for fully realized reproductive rights drew on experiences of coercion both in Canada and transnationally.

Othering Honor-Based Violence: The Perspective of Antiviolence Operators in Northern Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
Marina Della Rocca ◽  
Dorothy Louise Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Women's Shelters ◽  
Women’S Shelters ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
International Conventions ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

In recent years, so-called honor-based violence has become a major issue for the operators of the women's shelters in South Tyrol (Northern Italy) that support women who have suffered from domestic violence. The antiviolence operators who work in the women's shelters generally relate this form of violence to the experiences of young migrant-origin women. In this article, we discuss the operators' definitions of honor-based violence, which present a variety of dichotomous categories that reveal a process of othering and evoke the lexicon of the international conventions on gender discrimination and gender-based violence. Indeed, some traces of an essentialist understanding of culture are still recognizable in this lexicon, most of all in the relationship of culture with the concept of honor. We conclude by identifying possible ways to overcome the risk of essentialization in the antiviolence operators' practices, suggesting how to redefine them by incorporating the migrant-origin women's perspectives and stressing the significance of this study for a wider understanding of the women's empowerment in the advocacy work of the women's shelters.

scholarly journals Gendered ESL : accommodating immigrant women's cultural diversity in ESL classes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kathleen Landsborough
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Language Program ◽  
Home Study ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
Female Immigrants ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Gender Based

Research indicates that immigrant women have lower levels of English than men in English speaking regions including Canada. In Canada, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) is a government-funded language program which assists immigrants in improving their language levels. However, immigrant women face a number of barriers to accessing this program. These barriers suggest that LINC does not successfully accommodate immigrant women's diverse gender-based roles. This study examines the barriers that exist including the barriers reported by four Spanish speaking female immigrants. With the help of LINC key informants, this study suggests that the LINC Home Study program, a distance study program, any assist women who are unable to use the in-class LINC course to improve their English language level.

scholarly journals Gendered ESL : accommodating immigrant women's cultural diversity in ESL classes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kathleen Landsborough
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Language Program ◽  
Home Study ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
Female Immigrants ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Gender Based

Research indicates that immigrant women have lower levels of English than men in English speaking regions including Canada. In Canada, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) is a government-funded language program which assists immigrants in improving their language levels. However, immigrant women face a number of barriers to accessing this program. These barriers suggest that LINC does not successfully accommodate immigrant women's diverse gender-based roles. This study examines the barriers that exist including the barriers reported by four Spanish speaking female immigrants. With the help of LINC key informants, this study suggests that the LINC Home Study program, a distance study program, any assist women who are unable to use the in-class LINC course to improve their English language level.

scholarly journals Planning Shelter Service Spaces and Structures for Resilience: A Spatial Analysis of Women’s Shelters During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Isobel McLean ◽  
Nadine Wathen
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Women's Shelters ◽  
Space Planning ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Floor Plans ◽  
Women’S Shelters ◽  
And Storage

Objective: Globally, domestic violence against women increased in severity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelters supporting women experiencing temporary homelessness due to violence had to make major changes in service delivery to accommodate pandemic protocols, including how many families could stay in shelter, where they were allowed to reside, and how they were, and were not, able to interact with shelter staff and the outside world. The present study used a novel approach to spatial analysis to understand how pandemic protocols affected shelter space use. Method: Floor plans and written pandemic protocols were submitted by 15 women’s shelters in Ontario, Canada. Each pandemic protocol was analyzed and mapped onto its respective floor plans to determine how much space was lost under different modes of operation: normal (pre-pandemic), physical distancing (using pandemic protocols), and quarantine (using pandemic protocols during an outbreak). Three types of shelter space were analyzed to understand what types of spaces shelters were losing: Primary (bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry areas), Secondary (community areas and staff offices), and Tertiary (hallways and storage). Findings: All 15 shelters lost space, with an average of 27% of net area lost overall (range 7%-56%). Within the three types of space, 18% of Primary, 48% of Secondary, and <1% of Tertiary space was lost. Key factors influencing space loss were the type of protocol used and the existing layout of the shelter space. Conclusions: Recommendations for shelter space planning in the context of rapidly evolving public health requirements are provided.

Impact of Social Media on English Language: A Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Dr. Neha Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
English Language ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
International Level ◽  
Class Society ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Media ◽  
Subsequent Rise

Language being a potent vehicle of transmitting cultural values, norms and beliefs remains a central factor in determining the status of any nation. India is a multilingual country which tends to encourage people to use English at national and international level. Basically English in India owes its presence to the British but its subsequent rise is not fully attributable to the British. It has now become the language of wider communication which is now spoken by large number of people all over the world. It is influenced by many factors such as class, society, developments in science and technology etc. However the major influence on English language is and has been the media.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AMONGST WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES: A CASE STUDY OF MWENEZI DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tafadzwa Rugoho ◽  
France Maphosa
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Women With Disabilities ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Disabled Women ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
The Impact

This article is based on a study of gender-based violence against women with disabilities. The study sought to examine the factors that make such women vulnerable, to investigate the community’s responses to gender-based violence against women with disabilities, and to determine the impact of gender-based violence on the wellbeing and health of women with disabilities. The study adopted a qualitative research design so as to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. The study sample consisted of 48 disabled women living in marital or common law unions, selected using purposive sampling. Of the 48 women in the sample, 16 were visually impaired while the remaining 32 had other physical disabilities. Focus group discussions were used for data collection. The data were analysed using the thematic approach. The finding was that women with disabilities also experience gender-based violence. The study makes recommendations whose thrust is to change community perceptions on disability as the only guarantee towards eradicating gender-based violence against women with disabilities.

Legal and Institutional Functionality in the Protection of Women – Victims of Domestic Violence in the Republic of Macedonia – Present Situation and Future Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Zorica Saltirovska Professor ◽  
Sunchica Dimitrijoska Professor
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Women Victims ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
National Level ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Republic Of Macedonia ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Gender Based

Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination that prevents women from enjoying the rights and liberties on an equal level with men. Inevitably, domestic violence shows the same trend of victimizing women to such a degree that the term “domestic violence” is increasingly becoming synonymous with “violence against women”. The Istanbul Convention defines domestic violence as "gender-based violence against women", or in other words "violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately." The situation is similar in the Republic of Macedonia, where women are predominantly victims of domestic violence. However, the Macedonian legal framework does not define domestic violence as gender-based violence, and thus it does not define it as a specific form of discrimination against women. The national legislation stipulates that victims are to be protected in both a criminal and a civil procedure, and the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence determines the actions of the institutions and civil organizations in the prevention of domestic violence and the protection of victims. The system for protection of victims of domestic violence closely supports the Law on Social Protection and the Law on Free Legal Aid, both of which include provisions on additional assistance for women victims of domestic violence. However, the existing legislation has multiple deficiencies and does not allow for a greater efficacy in implementing the prescribed measures for the protection of victims of domestic violence. For this reason, as well as due to the inconsistent implementation of legal solutions of this particular issue, the civil sector is constantly expressing their concern about the increasingly wider spread of domestic violence against women and about the protection capabilities at their disposal. The lack of recognition of all forms of gender-based violence, the trivial number of criminal sentences against persons who perform acts of domestic violence, the insufficient support offered to victims – including victim shelters, legal assistance, and counseling, and the lack of systematic databases on domestic violence cases on a national level, are a mere few of the many issues clearly pointing to the inevitable conclusion that the protection of women-victims of domestic violence is inadequate. Hence, the functionality and efficiency of both the existing legislation and the institutions in charge of protection and support of women – victims of domestic violence is being questioned, which is also the subject for analysis in this paper.

Evaluating government's communication strategy of the 16 Days of Activism campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-241
Author(s):  
Mutambuli J. Hadji
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Gender Based

This article aims to evaluate government's communication strategy and citizens' awareness of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign in Soshanguve, South Africa. The study applied the diffusion of innovation theory because of its ability to assess how communities receive communication about the campaign from various media. Survey method was used to collect data, which was analysed using descriptive statistics. It was found out that mass media and other communication channels were main sources of campaign messages, which help the community to know how to address gender-based violence issues. Notably, this study found that females were more likely to know about the campaign than males. This article recommends that this campaign should be visible throughout the year and there should be more campaigns targeting men, and school curriculum, which educate pupils about the social and economic consequences of GBV.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 Related Lockdown on the Prevalence of Spousal Violence Against Women in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199792
Author(s):  
Kazhan I. Mahmood ◽  
Sherzad A. Shabu ◽  
Karwan M. M-Amen ◽  
Salar S. Hussain ◽  
Diana A. Kako ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Spousal Violence ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
The Impact

There is increasing concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown’s social and economic consequences on gender-based violence. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence by comparing the prevalence of spousal violence against women before and during the COVID-19 related lockdown periods. This study was conducted in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq using a self-administered online questionnaire survey after the COVID-19 lockdown period in June 2020. Data were collected from a sample of 346 married women about the occurrence, frequency, and forms of spousal violence before and during the lockdown period. Significant increases in violence were observed from the pre-lockdown period to the lockdown period for any violence (32.1% to 38.7%, p = .001), emotional abuse (29.5% to 35.0%, p = .005), and physical violence (12.7% to 17.6%, p = .002). Regarding emotional abuse, humiliation (24.6% to 28.3%, p = .041) and scaring or intimidation (14.2% to 21.4%, p < .001) significantly increased during the lockdown. For physical violence, twisting the arm or pulling hair (9.0% to 13.0%, p = .004) and hitting (5.2% to 9.2%, p = .003) significantly increased during the lockdown. Forcing to have sexual intercourse also significantly increased during lockdown (6.6% to 9.5%., p = .021). The concerned authorities and women’s rights organizations should collaborate to enhance the prevention of violence against women. An effective prevention strategy should emphasize recognizing and acknowledging the extent of the problem, raising awareness about the problem and the available resources to address it, and ensuring social and economic stability. Lessons learned about the increased prevalence of spousal violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to adopt appropriate strategies to prevent and address it will be valuable for similar future crises.

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