"Hearing Their Voices": Exploring Femicide among Migrants and Culture Minorities

Anita Nudelman; Santiago Boira; Tina Tiko Tsomaia; Ecaterina Balica; Sopio Tabagua

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.13.3.04

Authors

Anita Nudelman Ben Gurion University, Israel
Santiago Boira University of Zaragoza, Spain
Tina Tiko Tsomaia Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), Georgia
Ecaterina Balica Romanian Academy, Romania
Sopio Tabagua The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT), Georgia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.13.3.04

Keywords:

Femicide Survivors, Immigrants, Qualitative Interview Guide, Culture-Sensitivity

Abstract

The rates of domestic violence and femicide in various European countries tend to be higher among migrant women, as well as among women from cultural minorities. This led to the development of a culture and gender-sensitive in-depth interview guide aimed at better understanding this phenomenon, as well as identifying specific aspects of the experience of violence in a foreign scenario. The first stage was developing a draft interview guide based on the most important issues addressed in the professional literature, relating both to victims of domestic violence and to survivors of femicide and their families. This has allowed others to “hear their voices” and to understand their own perspectives, which are especially important considering the steady increase of this phenomenon around the world. The second phase was a pilot study among immigrant femicide survivors: first in Spain, later in Romania, and finally in Georgia, focusing on internally displaced people. The last step was analyzing the feedback from the different countries, which led to a refined and improved version of the interview guide. Thus, the current paper presents an ongoing process leading to a standardized interview guide, which could be adapted to local socio-cultural contexts, enabling comparative studies across Europe.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Anita Nudelman, Ben Gurion University, Israel

Anita Nudelman is an applied medical anthropologist who lectures in the Faculty of Health Sciences and the African Studies Program at Ben Gurion University (Israel). Her areas of expertise include gender issues, sexual health, and HIV. She has led UNAIDS sponsored community-based Rapid Assessment Processes in Africa, as well as projects related to culture and gender transformative sexual health (including prevention of gender-based violence) and HIV prevention. She is active in the COST Action IS1206 “Femicide across Europe” and Co-Chair of the Committee on Anthropology and HIV/AIDS, International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Studies (IUAES).

Santiago Boira, University of Zaragoza, Spain

Santiago Boira graduated in Psychology from the University of Salamanca (Spain) and received his PhD from the University of Zaragoza (Spain). He is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Sociology and coordinator of the Master’s degree in Gender Relations at the University of Zaragoza. His research interests focus on gender issues, intimate partner violence, especially in male abusers. He is a member of the network “Femicide across Europe,” Cost Action IS1206. He is a researcher of the Group of Social and Economic Studies of the Third Sector (GESES).

Tina Tiko Tsomaia, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), Georgia

Tina (Tiko) Tsomaia is a Professor at the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management (CSJMM) of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), where she is completing her PhD in Social Sciences. She has a BA and MA in Medicine and an MA in Journalism and Media Management. She was a post-graduate research fellow at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, New York University. She is an MC member of the COST Action IS1206 “Femicide across Europe” and a board member of the Georgian Psychotrauma Society. Her research topics are: pre-natal sex selection, trauma and addiction, ethical decision-making, and health communication.

Ecaterina Balica, Romanian Academy, Romania

Ecaterina Balica is a senior researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Romanian Academy. She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Romanian Society of Criminology (2013 to present) and of the “Association Internationale des Criminologues de Langue Française” (AICLF). She is a Romanian representative in the Management Committee of COST Action IS1206 “Femicide across Europe.” In the past years, her research has focused on homicide-suicides, femicide-suicides, migration and crime, and restorative justice. The results of her studies were published in international peer reviewed journals, in book chapters, and international conferences.

Sopio Tabagua, The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT), Georgia

Sopio Tabaghua graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University in 2002. She is a licensed psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Since 2003, she has been practicing in the field of rehabilitation. Currently she is a coordinator at The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT) and psychiatrist in the Mental Health Hospital. She is preparing for the entrance examinations for a doctoral degree; her interest is “Endophenotypic characteristics of schizophrenia.” She is a board member of Human Rights House Tbilisi, which runs the free legal aid center for socially unprotected people in Georgia and a member of the Georgian Society of Psychotrauma.

References

Abu Rabia, Aref. 2011. “Family Honor Killings: Between Custom and State Law.” The Open Psychology Journal 4:34-44.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1874350101104010034

Balica, Ecaterina. 2016. Homicide-Suicide in Romania: Statistical Data and Media Representation. Belgium: Peter Lang Publishing House.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.3726/978-3-653-06285-4

Balica, Ecaterina and Heidi Stöckl. 2016. “Homicide-Suicides in Romania and the Role of Migration.” European Journal of Criminology 13(4):517-534.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370816633258

Boira, Santiago. 2010. Hombres maltratadores. Historias de violencia masculina. Zaragoza: Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza.
Google Scholar

Boira, Santiago and Pedro Jodrá. 2010. “Psicopatología, características de la violencia y abandonos en programas para hombres violentos con la pareja: resultados en un dispositivo de intervención.” Psicothema 22:593-599.
Google Scholar

Boira, Santiago and Chaime Marcuello. 2013. “Male Abuser: Type of Violence and Perception of the Relationship with the Victim.” Psychological Reports 112:210-238.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.2466/21.02.16.PR0.112.1.210-238

Boira, Santiago et al. 2013. “Context of Treatment and Therapeutic Alliance: Critical Factors in the Intervention with Court-Ordered Batterers.” The Spanish Journal of Psychology 16(40):1-13.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2013.43

Briones-Vozmediano et al. 2014. “Professionals’ Perceptions of Support Resources for Battered Immigrant Women: Chronicle of an Anticipated Failure.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 29(6):1006-1027.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513506059

Campbell, Rebecca et al. 2009. “Training Interviewers for Research on Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Study of Rape Survivors’ Recommendations for Interview Practice.” Violence against Women 15(5):595-617.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801208331248

Carbajosa, Pablo et al. 2011. El delito de violencia de género y los penados extranjeros. Madrid: Secretaría General Técnica del Ministerio del Interior.
Google Scholar

Changa, Judy C. et al. 2005. “Asking about Intimate Partner Violence: Advice from Female Survivors to Health Care Providers.” Patient Education and Counseling 59:141-147.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2004.10.008

Chikovani, Ivdity et al. 2015. “Health Service Utilization for Mental, Behavioural and Emotional Problems among Conflict-Affected Population in Georgia: A Cross-Sectional Study.” Plos One 10(4). Retrieved June 17, 2017: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122673
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122673

Consejo General del Poder Judicial. 2015. Datos de denuncias, procedimientos penales y civiles registrados, Órdenes de protección y medidas de protección y seguridad solicitadas En los juzgados de violencia sobre la mujer (JVM) y sentencias dictadas Por los órganos jurisdiccionales en esta materia en el año 2015. Madrid: Consejo General el Poder Judicial. Retrieved July 01, 2016: www.poderjudicial.es/cgpj/es/Poder_Judicial
Google Scholar

Davis, Robert C., Edna Erez, and Nancy Avitabile. 2001. “Access to Justice for Immigrants Victimized by Crime: The Perspectives of Police and Prosecutors.” Criminal Justice Policy Review 12(3):183-196.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403401012003001

Edelstein, Arnon. 2013. “Culture Transition, Acculturation and Intimate Partner Homicide.” SpringerPlus 2:338.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-338

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. 2014. Violence against Women: An EU-Wide Survey. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Google Scholar

Freeman, Jane. 2016. “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugee Women: A Hidden Aspect of the Refugee Crisis.” Reproductive Health Matters. Retrieved July 30, 2016: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968808016300118
Google Scholar

Gonzalez-Mendez, Rosaura and Juana D. Santana-Hernandez. 2012. “Professional Opinions on Violence against Women and Femicide in Spain.” Homicide Studies 16(1):41-59.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1088767911428959

Gracia, Enrique et al. 2010. “Percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer en inmigrantes Latinoamericanos en España.” Intervención Psicosocial 19(2): 135-144.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.5093/in2010v19n2a5

Hazen, Andrea L. and Fernando I. Soriano. 2007. “Experiences with Intimate Partner Violence among Latina Women.” Violence against Women 13:562-582.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801207301558

Herrera, Sonia. 2013. Trapped in the Limbo. Women, Migration and Sexual Violence. Barcelona: Cristianismo y Justicia.
Google Scholar

IDMC. 2014. Georgia IDP Figures Analysis. Retrieved July 05, 2016: http://www.internal-displacement.org/europe-the-caucasus-and-central-asia/georgia/figures-analysis
Google Scholar

Ingram, Eben M. 2007. “A Comparison of Help Seeking between Latino and Non-Latino Victims of Intimate Partner Violence.” Violence against Women 13(2):159-171.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801206296981

Instituto de la Mujer y para la Igualdad de Oportunidades. Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. Gobierno de España. Retrieved July 01, 2015: http://www.inmujer.gob.es/estadisticas/consulta.do?metodo=buscar
Google Scholar

Israeli Parliament, Research and Information Center. 2015. Data on Violence against Women for 2015. Report presented to the- Committee for Advancement of Women’s Status.
Google Scholar

Laurent, Claire, Michael Platzer, and Maria Idomir. 2013. Femicide: A Global Issue That Demands Action. Vienna: Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Vienna Liaison Office.
Google Scholar

Makhashvili, Nino et al. 2014. “Mental Disorders and Their Association with Disability among Internally Displaced Persons and Returnees in Georgia.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 27(5):509-518.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21949

McNamara, Patricia. 2008. “Changed Forever: Friends Reflect on the Impact of a Woman’s Death through Intimate Partner Homicide.” Journal of Family Studies 14:198-216.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.5172/jfs.327.14.2-3.198

Messing, Jill T. et al. 2013. “Culturally Competent Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment: Adapting the Danger Assessment for Immigrant Women.” Social Work Research 37(3):263-275.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svt019

Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. 2015. Macroencuesta de violencia contra la mujer 2015. Madrid: Gobierno de España.
Google Scholar

Nicolaidis, Christina et al. 2003. “Could We Have Known? A Qualitative Analysis of Data from Women Who Survived an Attempted Homicide by an Intimate Partner.” Journal of General Internal Medicine 18:788-779.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.21202.x

Nudelman, Anita. 2013. Gender-Related Barriers to Services for Preventing New HIV Infections among Children and Keeping Their Mothers Alive in High-Burden Countries. UNAIDS: Discussion Paper. Retrieved June 17, 2017: https://unaids-test.unaids.org/sites/default/files/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2013/201312_discussion-paper_Gender-HIV-services_PMTCT_en.pdf
Google Scholar

Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia. 2015. Retrieved July 03, 2016: https://pog.gov.ge/res/docs/holideiinn/qaltamkvlelobebiojaxurinishnit.pdf
Google Scholar

Raj, Anita and Jay Silverman. 2002. “Violence against Immigrant Women: The Roles of Culture, Context, and Legal Immigrant Status on Intimate Partner Violence.” Violence against Women 8:367-398.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10778010222183107

Rana, Sheetal. 2012. Addressing Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Critical Issues for Culturally Competent Services. Harrisburg, PA: VAWnet, a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.
Google Scholar

Ross, John. 2012. Reproductive Health Survey Georgia 2010: Final Report. Retrieved June 17, 2017: http://en.calameo.com/books/000713529a8d3173e7e0a
Google Scholar

Runner, Michael, Mieko Yoshihama, and Steve Novick. 2009. Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Challenges, Promising Practices and Recommendations. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Futures without Violence.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/e601452012-001

Sanz-Barbero, Belén et al. 2016. “Perfil sociodemográfico del feminicidio en España y su relación con las denuncias por violencia de pareja.” Gaceta Sanitaria 30(4):272-278.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.03.004

Sela-Shayovitz, Revital. 2010. “The Role of Ethnicity and Context: Intimate Femicide Rates among Social Groups in Israeli Society.” Violence against Women 16:14-24.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801210389579

Shalhoub‐Kevorkian, Nadera. 2003. “Reexamining Femicide: Breaking the Silence and Crossing ‘Scientific’ Borders.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 28(2):581-608.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/342590

Sheehan, Brynn E. et al. 2015. “Intimate Partner Homicide: New Insights for Understanding Lethality and Risks.” Violence against Women 21(2):269-288.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801214564687

Sokoloff, Natalie J. and Ida Dupont. 2005. “Domestic Violence at the Intersections of Race, Class, and Gender. Challenges and Contributions to Understanding Violence against Marginalized Women in Diverse Communities.” Violence against Women 11:38-64.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801204271476

Visentin, Fernanda et al. 2015. “Women’s Primary Care Nursing in Situations of Gender Violence.” Investigacion y Educacion en Enfermeria 33(2):556-564.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iee.v33n3a20

Weil, Shalva. 2015. “Combating Femicide in Multiple Ways: The COST Action 1206 on ‘Femicide Across Europe.’” Femicide III. Vienna: ACUNS — Academic Council of the United Nations System. Retrieved July 15, 2016: http://acuns.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Femicide-III_Core-Stanzell.pdf
Google Scholar

Weil, Shalva. 2016. “Making Femicide Visible.” Current Sociology 64(7):1124-1137.
Google Scholar DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392115623602

WHO. 2009. Children of Georgia. An Assessment of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Needs of the Conflict-Affected Populations. Tblisi, Georgia: WHO.
Google Scholar