Women, Violence and Deportation
About
Male violence has impacted and continues to impact on the lives of many women. Yet this is not to suggest that women are necessarily affected in the same way.The late 1980s and 1990s witnessed an intense period of reflection and debate for many feminists and activists on how women’s experiences had been conceptualized. A concern with all women’s experiences was seen as having glossed over the significance of other forms of oppression, especially those that related to race, ethnicity, immigration status and class, and had marginalized the experiences of women of color. Whilst today there is greater awareness of how women of color are affected by multiple systems of oppression and the tension that exists between the need for effective policy and the often-contentious intervention of the state in the lives of marginalized groups, significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the specificity of experience, especially within a prevailing political context.
This working group will build on Yolanda Ortiz Rodriguez’s research study on the impact of domestic violence on foreign-born Latinas and U.S.-born Latinas in New York City and the barriers that they face in seeking help. It documents the impact of the violence, the importance of understanding cultural concepts such as familismo (familism), personalismo (personalism) and, respeto (respect) as well as, the gender scripts that shape the lives of Latinos. Following on from this, the feelings of personal insecurity and precariousness felt by many women as a result of the violence, familial relationships, language barriers and access to appropriate services are juxtaposed with current political concerns over national security, which have lead to heavy-handed immigration policies leaving women, who are not citizens, at risk of harassment and deportation. Interpersonal violence and the violence of the state are contrasted throughout – with the one compounding the other with often disastrous consequences.
Working Group themes
Security/ Insecurity – Rhetoric and Implications
Women, Domestic Violence and Deportation
Women Fleeing Male Violence and Seeking Asylum
Sex Trafficking
Family Separation - Children
Reproductive Justice
Legal Representation and Resistance – Helping the Undocumented Woman
What do Women Want? Responses to Men Being at Risk of Deportation for Domestic Violence Offences