Women migrants are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence. Due to their restricted visa status, some become trapped in abusive relationships with no access to finances or other support.
Timely and supportive legal interventions can help women escape domestic violence and establish lives in their new homes. However, appropriate legal interventions must be able to take account of the unique risks and challenges faced by women migrants. The need for further research in this area is ongoing.
UQ postgraduate students are examining how immigration laws impact on the safety of migrant women. The Marriage and Migration Workshop is a collaboration between UQ students and others in Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. The workshop will cover a range of issues including collaborating with migrant agencies, law and policy reform, the experience of using interpreters, and recruiting study participants.
Among UQ students active in this area are Ana Borges and Maree Kaiser, who recently received a Universitas21 graduate research grant to assist with hosting the workshop. Both Ana and Maree are supervised by ARC Future Fellow Professor Heather Douglas.
Migration is a significant concern globally and this workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to share experiences of conducting research in this area, including their challenges and what they have discovered. The group also plan to establish an Asia Pacific Network on Marriage and Migration for future collaborations. The project is led by Alexa Ridgeway at Hong Kong University.
