Health Care for Women International
Volume 40, Issue 7-9, 2019, Pages 721-743

Violence en route: Eritrean women asylum-seekers experiences of sexual violence while migrating to Israel (Article)

Gebreyesus T.* , Sultan Z. , Ghebrezghiabher H.M. , Singh N. , Tol W.A. , Winch P.J. , Davidovitch N. , Surkan P.J.
  • a Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
  • b Eritrean Women’s Community Center and the Cincinnati State Community College, Cincinnati, United States
  • c Department of Human Rights Under Pressure - Ethics, Law, and Politics at the Minerva Center for Human Rights, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
  • d Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
  • e Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
  • f Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
  • g Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev School of Public HealthNY, United States
  • h Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

Migrating irregularly, without access to support, may increase female asylum-seekers’ vulnerability to sexual violence. In this study, the authors applied a public health lens to explore the risk for sexual violence experienced by female asylum-seekers en route from Eritrea to Israel. The study team conducted 13 in-depth interviews and 8 focus groups with Eritreans in Israel between April and September of 2013. Participants in the study described their experiences occurring in three segments. The combination of irregular movement through dangerous, difficult and often isolated terrain, dependence on human smugglers, and vulnerability to traffickers led to the systematization and normalization of sexual violence en route. Such factors heighten vulnerability to sexual violence among these Eritrean women asylum-seekers, as well as others who find themselves in similar circumstances. © 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

female Eritrea Israel sexual violence Article interview asylum seeker Eritrean human adult public health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85061191964&doi=10.1080%2f07399332.2019.1566336&partnerID=40&md5=21323744e48a928d47e68ed7d736ab90
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2019.1566336
ISSN: 07399332
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English