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Vulnerabilities and Inequities: Challenges Experienced by Professionals Engaged with Migrant and Refugee Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Canada

Author

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  • Catherine Holtmann

    (Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada)

  • Evangelia Tastsoglou

    (Department of Sociology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada)

  • Mia Sisic

    (Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada)

Abstract

Migrant and refugee women are vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) at multiple points along the migratory pathway, including after they arrive in Canada. Their vulnerability in Canada is related to legal and policy frameworks to (im)migration, settlement and integration but also to the precarious nature of social services for migrant and refugee survivors of GBV. Drawing upon theorizing on intersectionality, vulnerability and precarity, this article describes findings from a qualitative study involving the reflexive thematic analysis of 43 interviews with professionals engaged with government policy and the provision of public services for migrant and refugee women survivors of GBV in Canada. Our analysis reveals their marginalization within social systems and their involvement in unintentionally reproducing obstacles faced by migrant and refugee women. The findings add to and nuance the small body of research on the experiences of professionals involved in Canadian GBV services for migrant and refugee women. We make contributions to theorizing, highlighting the structural components that impact service provision to migrant and refugee survivors of GBV, and suggest recommendations for policy change.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine Holtmann & Evangelia Tastsoglou & Mia Sisic, 2026. "Vulnerabilities and Inequities: Challenges Experienced by Professionals Engaged with Migrant and Refugee Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Canada," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:15:y:2026:i:5:p:280-:d:1928582
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