December 6th marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Violence against women can occur in many shapes and forms. They range from physical and emotional abuse to threatening and violent speech. Newcomer Women can face extra barriers to reporting their abuse due to legal and status limitations. A lot of times, the sponsorship status of the woman can be threatened to be withdrawn by the abuser. Some abused women are afraid that reporting their abuse to the authorities might affect their immigration status and result in deportation. Also, as a newcomer woman, you might not have a lot of friends or family around to contact since you are new to the country. Additional reasons and examples of abuse are mentioned here.

If you are in danger, call 911 as soon as possible. Run outside if that makes you feel safer outside the house. Scream to let the neighbors know to call the police. In a crisis, call Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 1 866 863 0511 / TTY 1 866 863 7868.

If you are new to Canada, remember that men and women are equal under the law. You do not have to endure and take the abuse. If you are being abused, you can talk to your doctor, nurse, social worker, teacher, police officer, or any person you trust and they will help you.

If you or someone you know who is abused and English is not your or their first language, there is a guidebook to explain, how to prevent, and what to do in the case of abuse in multiple languages. Languages available are Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Somali, Russian, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Dari, French, and Korean. You can find them here.

If you are an Italian-Canadian woman and require supportive and crisis counseling, “COSTI Family and Mental Health Services Centre offers confidential and culturally competent Italian and English one-on-one supportive and crisis counseling and a support group for women experiencing abuse. The Centre also offers one-on-one counseling to children who have witnessed or experienced abuse”. They have two centers: one in Toronto and one in Vaughan. You can find out more information and/or book an appointment by clicking here.

Abuse can also occur to senior newcomer women. In addition to the previous examples of abuse, senior newcomer women can experience abuse in forms such as:

• The abuser could be a young family member like sons and daughters
• Being dependent on the abuser financially
• Living in social isolation which prevents them from having opportunities to seek support

You can find more reasons and examples of senior newcomer women abuse here.