Project description
Orthodox Jewish women abused by their partners
Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global phenomenon, affecting all societies, cultures and religious groups. Recent research has focused on IPV against women members of ethnic groups, minorities and faith-based communities, such as the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community that is the most traditional stream of Orthodox Judaism. Hidden for decades, the phenomenon is now being raised. The EU-funded IPUOIPV project aims to achieve a better understanding of the specific needs of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women (UOJW) concerning common practices of IPV, including spiritual abuse. The project will explore priorities for intervention and prevention through 30 semi-structured face-to-face interviews and 5 focus groups of women from the ultra-Orthodox communities in Montreal and Israel, providing a model to study other neglected minority women.
Objective
The phenomenon of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) knows no boundaries. It crosses all sectors, cultures, countries and groups of ages. Recently we can see major interest in the study of IPV among ethnic groups, neglected minorities, as well as among faith-based communities. The aim of this individual fellowship is to explore IPV in terms of seeking care among abused ultraorthodox Jewish women (UOJW). In other words, the purpose of the planned study is to explore preferences for intervention and prevention among UOJW effected by IPV (IPUOIPV). Based on 30 semi-structured face to face interviews and 5 focus groups of women with prior or current experience of IPV, from the Ultra-Orthodox communities in Montréal and Israel, the aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the specific needs of this minority in relation to IPV. Such study can contribute to practice and future research examining IPV in other minorities, communities-based faith, and hard-to-access populations around Europe and worldwide.
For decades, IPV was known as a hidden problem in the Orthodox Jewish communities. However, only recently it is acknowledged to occur in Orthodox Jewish families. Alongside the unique difficulties of abused women, UOJW display several cultural characteristics that require solutions to ensure their social well-being, due to their conservative and obliging way of life. In addition to the common types of IPV (physical, emotional, sexual, economic and social), UOJW may also suffer from spiritual abuse. An example of spiritual abuse might be, when a husband forces his wife to pray against her will, or to avoid intimacy after she is going to the 'Mikveh' (religious immersion-bath).This study may reveal an added value to the current state of the art in the field of IPV. It may promote the understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of interpersonal violence against this neglected minority-women.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
31905 Haifa
Israel