Domestic Violence and Health: A Research Program

1. Domestic Violence and Health: A Research Program Wilfreda E. Thurston, PhD Associate Professor Dept. Community Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine Director Institute for Gender Research

2. Thank You International Council for Canadian Studies, Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Women’s Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services (WA) Dr. Lynne Hunt Ms. Rhonda Adamsam

3. Goal To encourage future research and teaching collaborations

4. Topics • Introduce the Institute for Gender Research & RESOLVE • Why gender, violence and health • DV statistics from Canada • Overview DV research program • WDVHP • Why international collaboration

5. INSTITUTE FOR GENDER RESEARCH

6. Calgary,Alberta, Canada

10. Kinesiology Communications and Culture Nursing Engineering Business Continuing Education Fine Art Environmental Design Law Humanities Social Sciences Social Work Education Science Medicine INSTITUTE FOR GENDER RESEARCH WDVHP Women’s Health Teaching A Women’s Health Research Network Rural Women’s Health Migrant Women’s Health Women’s Bone Health Aboriginal Women’s Health Primary Health Care Reform Gender and Health Policy Women and HIV/AIDS

11. RESOLVE Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse • Tri-provincial • Developing research • Sharing information • Funding research

12. RESOLVE

13. RESOLVE Structure • 3 Provincial Steering Committees • 3 Provincial Research Offices • Regional Council • 6 Provincial Representatives • 1 Foundation Representative • Director • Partnership Board • 7 Universities • Administrative Node (Manitoba)

14. Gender, Violence & Health Gender Health Violence

15. 4 Issues • Gender is a determinant of health • Violence impacts on health • Violence is gendered • Violence interacts with other determinants of health

16. Determinants of Health  Biology and genetic endowment • Education • Income and social status  Social support networks  Personal health practices and coping skills  Healthy child development

17. Determinants of Health - II  Employment and working conditions  Health services  Social environments  Physical environments • Culture • Gender

18. Health Outcomes of Violence • Battered Women - Physical injuries • bruising • fractures • lacerations • concussions • broken teeth • hearing loss & eye injuries • miscarriages • back or neck injuries • more illnesses

19. Health Outcomes of Violence • Abused Women • numbness or confusion of roles • social isolation • secondary victimization • loss of friends • decreased socioeconomic status • homelessness

20. DV in Canada & Alberta • National Survey, 1999 • 9% experienced in last 12 months • 51% physical or sexual assault since age 16 • 29% of ever-married assaulted by current or previous partner • Alberta women reported highest rates • 56% of Aboriginal women in Alberta

21. Homicide • From 1983 - 1992 an average of 116 women were killed each year by family members, predominately husbands or male common-law partners (Statistics Canada, 1995)

22. One Alberta RHA • 26% experienced physical or sexual assault • increased odds of reporting chronic health conditions

23. WDVHP Immigrant Women, DV & Homelessness Immigrant Women & DV Health Policy Integration & Maintenance of DV Screening Protocols Role of Eastern Religions Policy Discourse Gender, Health & DV DV Projects

24. DV Projects • Tracking cases through 4 special family violence courts • Civil Legislation – historical, legal & experiential perspectives • A manual for prosecutors • Women’s experience of special courts • National Conference – Nov.2004 – Justice System Responses

25. DV Projects The Healing Journey • Longitudinal study of DV health impacts • DV and mothering

26. Women's Participation in Domestic Violence Health Policy (WDVHP) A Shared Research Program in Women’s Health Canada, Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Thailand, Jordan

27. The Scope of the Project • 5 year program of research. • To advance knowledge of women’s participation in policy development. • To advance gender analysis of health policies. • Identify factors that affect DV policy communities at the international, national and local levels.

28. Phase I Pilot Objectives • Identify the characteristics of the domestic violence health policy community in each targeted country. • Identify the networks and advocacy coalitions of each locale’s policy community. • Identify future research partners, locally, nationally and internationally. • Form a base for future comparative research.

29. Five Pillars of Research Program • CAPACITY SHARING • GENDER BASED ANALYSIS • ACTION PROJECTS • INTERNATIONAL NETWORK • INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION

30. Afghanistan • Post-war, Post-Talaban • International NGOs • Poverty • Infrastructure

34. Immigrant Women, DV & Homelessness • 3 provinces (Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary) • 18 month longitudinal • 3 interviews

35. Immigrant Women & DV Health Policy • Interviews • NGO and health sector • Network Analysis

36. Integration & Maintenance of DV Screening Protocols • 4 EDs • 3 years • Micro, Meso and Macro level factors • Observation • File review • Interviews • Statistics

37. Other • Role of Eastern Religions • Dr. Morny Joy • Policy Discourse • Josephine Mazonde • Gender, Health & DV • Rosemary Perry • Secondary analysis

38. Future WDVHP • Help seeking • Profiles of violence • Outcomes & impact on women • Resources/service inventory • Social construction of violence • Factors of why men are/are not violent

39. Why collaborate internationally • New solutions & interventions needed • Contribute to international networking. • Participate in research skill development and capacity sharing. • Develop educational opportunities. • Contribute to global health knowledge base.

40. Thank you • www.ucalgary.ca/gender • www.ucalgary.ca/wdvhp • www.ucalgary.ca/resolve • Calgary Action Committee Against Violence • Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters