Violence & Migrant Women: A Global Problem needing Local Solutions, 25 September 2018
Together with the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa (SIHMA), a Roundtable Discussion was held on Violence & Migrant Women. The discussion was particularly geared towards putting a spotlight on the abuse suffered by migrant women as they make their journey to countries of safety. Ms Amy Shackelford, representing the Scalabrini’s Centre’s Women’s Platform, opened the discussion by providing a global picture of the pervasiveness of violence against migrant women. In South Africa, femicide is five times higher than the global average, and half of the women murdered are killed by intimate partners. Globally, India is the most dangerous country for women to live in. Violence is a common thread for migrant women, who face many risks along the journey as they migrate from their home country to a new country. The discussion featured storytelling by those affected by violence and abuse as well as comments from service providers. Ms Sylvia Mbebe, coordinator at the Adonis Musati Project, focussed her input on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and the factors contributing to its prevalence amongst refugees and migrants. Ms Aimèe-Nӧel Mbiyozo, senior research consultant at the Institute for Security Studies provided an intersectional analysis of women migrants in South Africa and the culture of violence refugees and migrants encounter, while Ms Delene Roberts, manager at Sisters Incorporated, provided an analysis of possible gaps in policy as it pertains to protecting women from violence.
L-R: Ms Amy Shackleford; Ms Thembile Abigail Njojo (Storyteller 1); Mr George Mfwamba (Storyteller 2); Ms Delene Roberts; Fr Peter-John Pearson (Director, CPLO); Ms Sylvia Mbebe; Fr Filippo Ferraro (Co-Director, SIHMA); and Ms Aimèe-Nӧel Mbiyozo
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