As a British Asian woman who has experienced abuse I know first-hand just how difficult it is to break cultural barriers and access the right kind of support during a crisis.
I am not the only one. Research I have been doing with other BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) women has highlighted the extra challenges we face when trying to get help.
The research has now been published in a report called Hand in Hand written by peer researchers like me with the charities AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) and Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, for the National Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Multiple Disadvantage.
It explores the links between domestic and sexual abuse and severe and multiple disadvantages, particularly mental health and substance use issues as well as other related problems such as homelessness and childhood abuse. We found there were a number of common issues facing the most disadvantaged survivors of abuse, whatever their background.
These included the fear of children being forcibly removed once they disclosed abuse or addiction that resulted from it. Also the fear of not being taken seriously by the police, doctors and support workers. In too many cases, signs of abuse were not picked up by professionals.
However, my research with women of Pakistani, Indian and Chinese backgrounds, also revealed the culture-specific issues they faced. The main ones I identified were domestic slavery, fear of so-called ‘honour killing’, and withholding documentation in order to control a victim, and stop them accessing their rights and money, like benefits.
In the case of domestic slavery, the victim has often taken part in an overseas marriage but once here in the UK is actively prevented from contacting their family and their passport is confiscated. They are then subjected to servitude from their in-laws, not allowed out of the house and denied adequate food and/or clothing – and all in the name of being a ‘good daughter in-law and wife’.
One interviewee who had taken an overdose told how she was threatened by her partner to tell the doctor she had done it because she was “having a bad day and was stupid”. The doctor did not question this which really broke her heart and made her feel even more trapped and helpless. Another spoke about suffering marital rape on a regular basis with threats of further physical violence if she protested.
Some BAME women also face extra stigma from their families and community when they behave in non-traditional ways. For example, drug addiction also led one woman being thrown out of the family home and ostracised. She was then forced to sleep on the street with no money which made her feel like she had no reason to live anymore because her family were ashamed of her.
When women try to get help they are often met with very few or no options. Cuts and austerity have affected BAME women disproportionately. And, as organisations like Imkaan have highlighted, there are many gaps in service provision for BAME women survivors of violence. This means there are only a handful of services that this group of women can go to get help and support from in the first place. Many of these such services are now at crisis point due to funding cuts and many are facing closure if they have not have ceased running already.
The serious need for specialist language support and culture-specific training is vital to understand the real dangers women face once they speak out. One interviewee told me how she needed to catch four buses to access a language specific support worker, whilst being a single parent and needing to collect her children from school.
BAME women who suffer any serious mental health issues as a result of trauma can have the problem compounded further just by the lack of understanding and empathy from those close to them. In certain cultures a woman may be regarded as being ‘weak’ minded. The psychological aspect of psychological abuse and mind control means that many victims didn’t realise they were being abused until much later, which meant more problems and barriers to overcome for them later on. The resulting low self-esteem and or self-worth can be one of the most difficult barriers to overcome. Support staff need to understand this.
Coming from an Asian background and having experienced abuse, mental ill health and homelessness, I helped interviewees to feel at ease and really pour their heart out. For some of these women it was the first time they had told their story. To me, each of them are amazing women in their own right and I feel privileged to have had this opportunity. Their resilience in the face of adversity is truly inspiring.
But they should not have to suffer in silence. Not only must we break the taboos around abuse – and also its impact on mental health - but we must also ensure the right support is there when they need it. There are not enough women’s organisations to support women and services that help BAME women specifically are few and far-between. We owe it to ourselves and society to change the picture if we want to bring about positive change.
Naima Khan is a peer researcher for the National Commission into Domestic and Sexual Violence and Multiple Disadvantage, established by AVA and Agenda. The Commission’s full report is available here.
- Refuge- Domestic violence help for women and children - 0808 2000 247
- Visit Women’s Aid- support for abused women and children – or call the National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247
- Broken Rainbow- The LGBT domestic violence charity - 0845 2 60 55 60
- Men’s Advice Linefor advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse - 0808 801 0327