Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 39 Although the immigrant wheel of power and control provides a good basis to the types of abuse an immigrant woman may experience, it is important to include more specific examples of how these abuses may be impacted by the immigration process. Abuse can encompass a wide variety of behaviours. There are many different forms of abuse for women, but the following are some examples of D/IPV, many of which could be experienced by non-immigrant women as well, while others are more specific to immigrant women due to the immigration process and additional barriers they may face. These examples are not definitive and violence may be carried out in many different ways: WHAT D/IPV LOOKS LIKE FOR IMMIGRANT WOMEN • Hitting, slapping, pushing, punching or throwing objects • Grabbing her firmly or cornering her, choking • Burning, acid throwing • Bodily mutilation, including female genital mutilation, forced cosmetic surgery • Rape, women may believe that it is a husband’s right to demand sexual intercourse with his wife. • Accusing her of promiscuity or overt sexuality (this may occur due to clothing choices, or socializing with unrelated men) • Coercion to have unprotected sex • Sexual neglect and coldness • Strictly controlling reproductive choices • Threatening to take away her children (including back to the home country), threatening to hurt the children • Isolation (not being able to leave the home without permission, preventing the victim to reach out to others) • Destroying or hiding important documents like passports; destroying objects from home cultures • Controlling all the decisions, preventing her from obtaining an education or working outside of the house • Threatening to withdraw his file to legalize her immigration status or promising to sponsor her and not following through • Telling her family lies about her • Blaming her for the abuse • Treating her like a servant • Forcing her to do illegal things • Threatening to report her to authorities • Prohibiting the victim from having knowledge of finances or access to funds • Preventing the victim from earning money • Preventing the victim from sending money overseas to family • Enforcing all financial decisions in the household • Aspects of religion may be used against victims (i.e., interpreting sacred texts in ways that justify abuse; increased pressure to perform or act a certain way during religious holidays) • Denial of a religious divorce by their husband (immigrant women may seek a civil divorce in Canada, but many also want or need a religious divorce for it to be recognized by her family and community) PHYSICAL ABUSE SEXUAL ABUSE PSYCHOLOGICAL / EMOTIONAL / VERBAL ABUSE FINANCIAL ABUSE SPIRITUAL ABUSE
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