When the State is Complicit in Gender-Based Violence against Women- Exploring Experiences of Housing Violence among Punjabi Women International Studen

Overview

  • Article discusses the intersection of housing violence and structural gender-based violence (GBV) faced by Punjabi women international students (ISs) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Key Themes

  • Structural GBV: The Canadian state plays a complicit role through policies that reinforce patriarchal practices within the local diaspora.

    • State laws and inactions reproduce cultural practices that lead to the exploitation of women ISs.
    • Neo-racism explains the hostility and discrimination specific to Punjabi ISs within their own diasporic community.

  • Intersectional Approach: The study employs intersectional, anti-racist, and feminist perspectives to understand the unique challenges faced by women ISs.

Methodology

  • Data derived from interviews with 12 Punjabi women ISs and key informants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Focus on lived experiences of violence in housing and interplay with migration status.

Forms of Violence Experienced

  • Housing Violence includes:

    • Physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, and economic violence.
    • Women ISs often find themselves in precarious living conditions that exacerbate vulnerability.

  • Psychological and Emotional Violence:

    • Instances of verbal abuse and control, especially from homeowners, enforcing dependency and compliance.

  • Sexual Harassment:

    • Derived from landlords and homeowners, often accompanied by accusations and entitlement to tenant’s privacy.

  • Exclusion from Rights:

    • Policies like the two-year conditional residency for sponsored spouses demonstrate how state structures perpetuate violence against women ISs.

  • Economic Violence:

    • Unstable employment conditions owing to visa regulations, leading to financial precarity.

Housing Conditions

  • Predominance of overcrowded, unsafe housing:

    • Shared rooms in basements violating health and safety codes; landlords exploit the demand from ISs.
    • (Statistical Insight) - Toronto's rental costs increased significantly, while income has not kept up, making tenants more vulnerable to discriminatory practices.

  • Lack of Protections:

    • Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) excludes many situations concerning ISs.
    • Homeowners can evict easily, creating a power imbalance.

  • Everyday Violence:

    • Dirty and inadequate shared facilities; landlords frequently monitored tenants and restricted their freedoms.

Recommendations for Policy Change

  • Recognizing and responding to the structural factors that lead to GBV against ISs:
    • Improved protection laws for tenants.
    • Greater scrutiny of landlord practices and regulatory measures.

Conclusion

  • The realities faced by Punjabi women ISs expose the systemic nature of GBV as shaped by intersecting factors of race, gender, migration, and socio-economic status
    • Urgent calls for policies aimed at improving housing security and inclusion of ISs in rights and services available to citizens and permanent residents.

Acknowledgements

  • Article largely based on studies funded by SSHRC, highlighting the contributions of various community organizations and research collaborations.