Toward a Contextual Global Approach: Addressing Violence Against Immigrant Women

Margaret Abraham, Hofstra University

Abstract 

For decades, social scientists, feminist sociologists, activists and anti-violence movements have drawn attention to the global problem of gender-based violence. Tackling this problem is key to dealing with issues of equality and social justice. Although gender-based violence is a worldwide problem, cutting across cultures, boundaries, time, and political systems, addressing the social, economic, and political contexts matter. Drawing upon a contextual global sociology, this presentation considers some of the persistence and change in addressing gender-based violence against immigrant and ethnic minority women, especially during the recent global pandemic.  Structural and cultural factors and the framing of domestic violence, particularly the role of the state will be critically examined to explain the consequences on abused immigrant women’s lives, their families, and communities. Gender and intersectionality at the micro, meso and macro levels in examining the causal factors of gender-based violence and vulnerability of immigrant women but also their resilience and agency will be discussed. Issues of language, ethnicity, religion, nationality, class, and citizenship status are analyzed. The presentation concludes with some questions and suggestions on ways to help mitigate the ongoing gender-based violence against economically marginalized and racialized women that is integral to ensure equality, social justice, and social change.