This resource was created as part of the National Gender-Based Violence Settlement Strategy Project, a national strategy to address GBV in newcomer, immigrant, and refugee communities. In a national survey conducted in 2019, 96% of service providers identified improved coordination between the immigrant-serving and anti-violence sectors as a priority in a national strategy.
Intersectionality recognizes that every person’s identity is made up of many categories that shape their experiences, such as age, race, gender identity, ability, and many more. Newcomers, immigrants, and refugees have many intersecting identities that may impact their GBV risk and the ways that they can access support due to discrimination and other forms of systemic inequity and oppression that are rooted in our society and institutions.
Due to these unique intersections, newcomers, immigrants, and refugees experiencing GBV may have a range of safety needs that cut across multiple systems, such as immigration, employment, language, income support, healthcare, integration and belonging, and education, among others. Collaboration between sectors is a strategic practice for addressing the intersectional needs of GBV survivors and their families.
