Web resource:	https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/acssa-aware
Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Identifying the woman, the client and the victim: sexual assault and domestic violence services for women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Other Titles:	Aware : Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault newsletter
Authors:	Lay, Yvonne
Keywords:	Cross-cultural;CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse);Policy
Year:	2006
Publisher:	Australian Institute of Family Studies
Citation:	(12), September 2006
Notes:	Overview: Drawing on a study of eleven Victorian women of Chinese, East Timorese and Vietnamese background, the author examines the adequacy of sexual and domestic violence service providers in responding to the needs of victims from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD). The paper discusses the specific requirements of CALD victims and the barriers they face and how these are addressed. Discussion: The paper outlines the relevant Australian and Victorian statistics relating to service providers and the incidence and victimology of domestic and sexual violence in general and involving CALD women. The paper then goes on to discuss the issues arising from the reported figure that only 4% of CALD sexually victimised women (in Victoria) report the latest incidence to police, and few seek help from crisis centres, refuges and other services. The author states that current provisions, which are founded on ‘white liberal feminism’, are inadequate for CALD victims. Research findings: The author undertook a literature review and summarises the findings regarding sexual assault victims in general and CALD victims in particular, and the barriers faced by CALD women seeking help from services. The paper then goes on to summarise the findings from the interviews with eleven women in metropolitan Melbourne under the following headings: Conclusion: The paper concludes that CALD women are doubly disadvantaged and that mainstream services offer a ‘one size fits all approach’ that should be tailored to women who are outside the dominant cultural group. The author characterises the inadequacy and inflexibility of services in responding to the needs of CALD women as a failure of liberal feminism to include women from diverse cultural backgrounds and experience.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/15153
ISSN:	1448-8140
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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