Clearinghouse announces special refugees collection

Today, 20 June, World Refugee Day 2009, the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse has released a special collection of research and resources on refugees’ experiences of domestic and gender-based violence during flight from their countries of origin and in countries of resettlement, such as Australia, the UK and the US.

Refugee women have often been subjected to extreme levels of sexual and gender-based violence in their home countries and during often extended periods spent in international refugee camps. Research shows that while refugee and immigrant women are not necessarily at an increased risk of domestic violence compared with the general population, they often face a range of unique and complex circumstances that can compound the impacts of domestic violence and limit their ability to seek help. Specific and unique challenges experienced by refugee women include those relating to trauma, legal status, structural barriers to services such as housing and social security, language barriers, racism, social disadvantage and culture, acculturation and resettlement. These unique challenges also have significant implications for policy and practice with refugee women escaping violence.

The collection can be found here.