Family violence and migrant and refugee women

Content warning: domestic abuse and family violence

Migrant and refugee women – just like non-immigrant Australian women – report forms of violence and control from perpetrators that include physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence as well as reproductive coercion, financial abuse and controlling behaviours. But migrant and refugee women can experience additional forms of violence and control, and they face particular barriers to accessing services that can help.

In this second episode of If only someone had asked, we meet Dr Yee Man Louie – a victim-survivor, advocate and researcher. Yee Man shares her experience of family violence and how her former husband used her migration status to threaten and destabilise her.

Yee Man also describes presenting to hospital for injuries resulting from family violence and how her husband exploited the fact that English was her second language, taking control of the narrative to the unquestioning healthcare professionals who treated her. Her perspective and insights about what healthcare professionals can do to better support victim-survivors are invaluable. 

This podcast includes descriptions of family violence and may be upsetting to some listeners. If you have experienced or are at risk of domestic and family violence and/or sexual assault, you can call the national counselling service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

For more information, visit http://familyviolence.wh.org.au