“I AM NOT ALONE.” A HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN OF IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND FACING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
De Felice, Gloria (2021)
De Felice, Gloria
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202103153354
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202103153354
Tiivistelmä
This product-based thesis aims to create a handbook that lists and explains what an immigrant woman is supposed to know if she is a victim of intimate partner violence in Finland. The target group of the handbook is non-Finnish-speaking women in Finland, who are victims of intimate partner violence. The working life partner organization collaborating in this product is MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, which is a nationwide multicultural women’s non-government organization (NGO) that aims to promote equality, inclusion, and the prevention of domestic violence to-wards immigrant women in Finland (MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, 2021).
Intimate partner violence is a form of violence (physical and psychological) committed by an intimate partner (WHO, 2012). In 2018 there were 9900 victims of domestic and intimate partner violence crimes reported to Finland’s authorities. According to MONIKA- Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, most of the women victims were immigrants (MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, 2021).
For this reason, I decided to focus my thesis on developing a product for these immigrant women, and I collected all the must-know information in a short and simple handbook. I chose to title the handbook “You are not alone,” referring to Finland’s services and support for immigrant women and victims of intimate partner violence. My research process was reading the most recent statistics, articles, reports and interviewing two counselors who work with intimate partner violence victims. Only after I was able to create my product, MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, evaluated and approved it. Together, we agreed to write it concisely in easily comprehensible English to inform on intimate partner violence in Finland, the legislation, support services, and organizations also focused on integration programs. There are also chapters dedicated to the Crisis Center Monika Shelter Mona and the Integration Center Monika. The main result is that now MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, has a handbook available to offer to their clients, victims, of intimate partner violence with the possibility to translate the product into other languages since many of the immigrant women do not speak English. The product is accessible in online pdf format and is also available for printing. In conclusion, my biggest hope is this handbook will help as many immigrant women as possible to understand intimate partner violence easily and spread more awareness of the topic.
Keywords: intimate partner violence, immigrant women, support services.
Intimate partner violence is a form of violence (physical and psychological) committed by an intimate partner (WHO, 2012). In 2018 there were 9900 victims of domestic and intimate partner violence crimes reported to Finland’s authorities. According to MONIKA- Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, most of the women victims were immigrants (MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, 2021).
For this reason, I decided to focus my thesis on developing a product for these immigrant women, and I collected all the must-know information in a short and simple handbook. I chose to title the handbook “You are not alone,” referring to Finland’s services and support for immigrant women and victims of intimate partner violence. My research process was reading the most recent statistics, articles, reports and interviewing two counselors who work with intimate partner violence victims. Only after I was able to create my product, MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, evaluated and approved it. Together, we agreed to write it concisely in easily comprehensible English to inform on intimate partner violence in Finland, the legislation, support services, and organizations also focused on integration programs. There are also chapters dedicated to the Crisis Center Monika Shelter Mona and the Integration Center Monika. The main result is that now MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland, has a handbook available to offer to their clients, victims, of intimate partner violence with the possibility to translate the product into other languages since many of the immigrant women do not speak English. The product is accessible in online pdf format and is also available for printing. In conclusion, my biggest hope is this handbook will help as many immigrant women as possible to understand intimate partner violence easily and spread more awareness of the topic.
Keywords: intimate partner violence, immigrant women, support services.