Afghan Women Refugees Enduring Domestic Violence Despite Finding Sanctuary in the UK

Abstract

This article examines the settlement experiences of Afghan women refugees following their migration into the UK. The findings highlight how violence and oppression depicted many of the women’s experiences prior to seeking asylum. This was found to persist when the women gained asylum in the UK, as many continued to face severe and enduring violence within their family, from both men and other women, as traditional patriarchal values involving physical and psychological violence remained. However, the findings indicated that violence within the home was less prevalent among women from the Hazara ethnic group who held a higher educational background. The research was designed within an interpretivist paradigm of inquiry, and qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted in Dari and English languages, with 15 Afghan refugee women, based at a London refugee centre. The resulting data was analysed using thematic analysis. Reflecting the findings of a number of international reports on women’s status in Afghanistan, the findings highlighted their experiences of violence and oppression in their home country prior to seeking asylum. The article concludes with an emphasis on practitioners recognising the potential risks of violence and abuse female Afghan refugees face within their own homes.