TSINAAT NAY IYOB YIHABENA: DIRECT AND INDIRECT VIOLENCE FACED BY ERITREAN WOMEN ASYLUM SEEKERS

Background Female irregular migrants, including those with claims for asylum, experience considerable sexual violence both while migrating and after arrival in their host country. They also often have a high unmet need for sexual and reproductive health services. Researchers originally designed the study to explore the reproductive health needs of Eritrean women asylum seekers who had arrived in Israel since 2007. Participants’ responses prompted researchers to expand the study, to also investigate the sexual violence and exploitation that the women had experienced both en-route to and after arrival in Israel. Methods This is a qualitative methods study. Phase I investigated barriers to the access of contraception from the health systems perspective. Data collection included semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with 25 adult key informants (e.g. health providers, case-workers, government officials, members of international NGOs, activists in the asylum-seeking community, NGO workers and researchers). Phase II of the study investigated the sexual violence and exploitation experienced by female Eritrean asylum seekers in Israel. Phase II consisted of 12 semi-structured in-depth individual interviews (6 men and 6 women) and 8 focus group discussions (4 groups of men and 4 groups of women, N=44) with Eritrean community members living in Israel. Results Participants reported that sexual violence and exploitation had become normalized en-route to Israel. Irregular status and movement hindered access to the institutional support needed to prevent the perpetuation of these practices. Participants indicated that the need for protection from this abuse continued in Israel as a result of political and economic marginalization. In spite of a need for protection, including important reproductive health services such as family planning methods, women reported being unable to access these services due to a number of structural barriers to careseeking for asylum seekers in Israel. Conclusion Interviews and focus group discussions revealed both a considerable risk of sexual violence and exploitation throughout Eritrean women’s migration experiences and a limited access to sexual and reproductive health services. We found that asylum-seeking women migrating irregularly had experienced an increased vulnerability to sexual abuse and limited recourse to support. Our findings suggest that risk and access to care vary by context. Doctoral dissertation committee members Advisor: Pamela Surkan Thesis committee: Drs. Pamela Surkan, Peter Winch, and Wietse Tol Dissertation Defense committee: Drs. Pamela Surkan, Peter Winch, Amy Tsui, and Danielle Germa