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AIPROPX ReportPhys.org · 1h ago
Leaving abusive relationships can be harder for migrant women. Here's what they need to feel safe
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Like many women raised in traditional cultures and religious contexts, I was taught that a "good" woman holds the family together. In my culture, women were often glorified for quietly accepting hardship.
As a highly educated, financially independent and well-informed professional, admitting I had lived in an abusive relationship for a long time felt shameful and like a personal defeat. Seeking help felt like exposing weakness and vulnerability.
As a researcher in mental well-being, I now understand my experience was not unique. One in four Australian women has experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15.
Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds face an even greater risk . Official data among migrant and refugee communities in Australia remain limited. But a 2020 national survey of about 1,400 migrant and refugee women found one in three had experienced domestic violence in the previous five years.
Stigma, financial dependence, fears of social exclusion and community acceptance of abuse can make it much harder for some women to get the support they need.
Intimate partner violence does not always or only involve physical harm. A less visible but often equally devastating aspect is coercive control.
This involves a pattern of behaviors designed to dominate another person. It can involve intimidation, surveillance, financial control, emotional abuse, isolation and gradually removing their autonomy.
Increasingly, coercive control can also be facilitated through technology such as digital surveillance, monitoring and tracking. This can further isolate victims, making it more difficult for them to seek help and stay connected to others.
Because coercive control can be difficult to recognize, women may struggle to make sense of what is happening and identify it as abuse. This can be especially difficult if cultural and religious beliefs emphasize women's submission to male authority.
In some communities, social and cultural expectations and stigma may shape how coercive control and other kinds of abuse are understood, tolerated and responded to.
For example, family and community members may normalize verbal abuse, male dominance in decision-making and expectations that women should be compliant within relationships.
Pressure to preserve the family unit can also outweigh women's personal safety. Women may fear that disclosing violence to the extended family or others within their community will lead to social exclusion.
My own silence was shaped by shame and internalized beliefs. Domestic violence felt like something that happened to other people. Disclosing it felt as though I would bring shame upon myself and my family .
Many migrant and refugee women may also face additional challenges . These include social isolation, language barriers, limited knowledge of services and mistrust of authorities.
Immigration status can become another tool of coercive control, making women on temporary visas particularly vulnerable.
They may be dependent on their partner for a visa and fear deportation, financial insecurity and losing custody of their children if they report abuse. These are significant barriers to leaving abusive relationships—and even to knowing where and how to seek help.
When a woman seeks help for domestic violence, for example at a police station, a risk assessment is conducted.
A risk assessment asks about threats, past violence, controlling behaviors and anything that could place women and their children at risk. It helps determine how likely future violence is and what support and safety measures may be needed.
But the way risk assessments are currently conducted may not adequately capture the cultural and migration-related aspects of coercive control.
For example, women are not routinely asked whether they rely on their partner for a visa or how cultural or gendered expectations may be used as tools of coercive control. This means important aspects may be overlooked.
Australia's National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–32 identifies culturally and linguistically diverse women as a priority population.
Women from migrant and refugee communities need to be involved from the beginning in designing the response. This means more than adapting existing services. It will involve building services that are culturally safe, trauma-informed and accessible .
For example, evidence suggests community education can improve awareness of domestic violence, legal rights and available supports when it's delivered by trusted community members and in women's preferred languages.
Religious leaders can also play an important role . They may help reduce stigma and facilitate earlier help-seeking, as they are often the first point of contact for women seeking guidance and support.
Access to professional interpreters is also essential. However, confidentiality concerns within small cultural communities must be carefully considered.
Finally, we need to train frontline responders—including police, health care professionals and domestic violence practitioners—to assess risk holistically. This means recognizing how culture, religion, migration and gender expectations can influence women's experiences of abuse.
No woman should have to choose between her safety, self-respect and social acceptance. Every woman deserves to be heard, believed and protected.
Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-...
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