Background to the Research

• In May 1997, NIWAF launched the Ethnic Minorities Project to research the needs of minority ethnic women and children at risk from domestic violence. This report focuses on the needs of Travellers, Chinese and Indian women at risk from domestic violence in NI.
  

Research Approach

• In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were carried out with NIWAF workers, workers within minority ethnic communities and women from the communities identified.
  

Main Findings

Traveller Women

• Refuge is often viewed by Traveller women as short term safe respite; leaving your husband is not accepted practice within many Traveller families.
• It is often expected by the woman that the husband will make an effort to come and find her.
• A woman may face ostracisation from her family and kin if she leaves and the marriage prospects of daughters of the family may be jeopardised.
• Traveller women may view their emotional needs as less important due to other pressures in their lives.
• Relations between police and Travellers are non-existent and Traveller women on many sites would not see calling the police as an option.
• Traveller women may have difficulty reading and completing forms due to illiteracy.

Chinese Women

• Patriarchy has been found to be more rigid and oppressive in Asian communities.
• Domestic violence is often viewed as something that should stay within the family, in order to prevent shame being brought on the family if abuse is disclosed.
• Seeking support from within her own community may bring fear of ostracisation for the woman and the 'tight-knit' nature of the Chinese community makes it difficult for a woman to disclose abuse for fear of everyone knowing about it.
• A woman may not leave a violent partner because of her fears concerning her immigration status.
• Advice centres and refuges are culturally alienating with surroundings that reflect the dominant cultural norm.
• Some Chinese women do not speak English and using an interpreter service raises a number of problems.
• Many Chinese families work in the catering industry and women are often expected to work and care for the children.

Indian Women

• Indian women experience strong cultural pressures to stay with their partners.
• The model Indian woman is often defined as chaste, virtuous, nurturing and obedient.
• Marriage breakdown may be viewed as shameful for the woman and her family.
• The 'tight-knit' nature of the community makes disclosure of domestic violence within and outside the community difficult.
• The woman's marriage may have been arranged and this can make her particularly isolated from family and friends.
• An Indian woman may not speak English and therefore have no access to information or be able to communicate with workers.
• The majority of refuges and advice centres are not equipped for cultural differences in relation to cooking utensils, educational material, toys or books.
• Indian women face the same problems with regard to immigration legislation as Chinese women.