Impact on African Women: The Silent Sufferers
摘要
While IPV is not inherently gendered, it disproportionately impacts women, particularly African immigrant women in the diaspora. Patriarchal norms, immigration-related stressors, and systemic discrimination create multiple layers of marginalization, aggravating the prevalence and impact of IPV. The transition to a host country with differing gender norms may challenge traditional power dynamics, leading to increased vulnerability. African women experiencing IPV face profound physical, psychological, and socio-economic consequences, including depression, PTSD, reproductive health issues, financial instability, and social isolation. Barriers to seeking help include cultural stigmatization, fear of ostracization, unfamiliarity with legal systems, and immigration concerns. This chapter examines the effects of IPV on African immigrant women, who proportionally bear the burden of IPV in the African diaspora, including the rising incidence of intimate partner homicides, which remain a critical yet understudied issue within African immigrant communities, reflecting the extreme consequences of IPV.