Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Overcoming barriers to providing domestic violence services for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Other Titles:	Parity
Authors:	Nesci, Angela
Keywords:	Community development;Community education;CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse);Cross-cultural
Year:	2006
Publisher:	Council to Homeless Persons
Citation:	19 (2), March 2006
Notes:	General Overview: In this Australian article, the authors explore why women from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) do not access domestic violence services. Language is identified as the biggest barrier so unless there are women in an organisation that speak their language most women will not access the service. Traditionally women consult health educators for referrals because they speak the same language and, therefore, women feel able to call them for advice. Discussion: The authors note there is no longer a peak body representing women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) ever since the Australian Association for Non-English Speaking Background Women of Australia was de-funded (ANESBWA). They argue that CALD women are commonly asked to provide consultation to government bodies, however, it is a meaningless process as usually the outcomes have already been decided before the consultation takes place. Legal centres are often the first point of call for women, however, their problems are rarely only legal. They are usually accompanied by domestic violence, housing and financial problems but without having a linguistically compatible worker, they are rarely able to articulate these needs. Many reasons for CALD women not accessing services are given and include: a lack of information about services; a lack of understanding and fear of a system they don’t understand, individual needs of a woman are not addressed; refuges cannot cater for individual needs; women from this group are used to being treated as part of a community and being treated as an individual is foreign, as is seeking help from a stranger; and Muslim women may have problems with sharing a fridge or sharing space with someone who uses alcohol or other drugs. Women may stay for only short periods for reasons, including pressure from children to return to their networks and to their own communities, as well as a general sense of isolation caused by language barriers and an unfamiliar system. Conclusion: The authors conclude that services need to engage with CALD workers who are available, and value and recognise skills they have. They need to support CALD women to go on committees, follow through policies for CALD women and work with bi-lingual workers. When researching, consultation must be done CALD women, with the recognition that one model will not fit all groups. Therefore, it is important to ascertain the best process for the group being consulted. The value of generalist ethno specific workers cannot be underestimated, as the language barrier is the biggest hurdle for most women.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16038
ISSN:	1032-6170
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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