How a Lack of Resources Affects Women in Rural Communities

Living away from the city can provide many benefits, but for a woman experiencing domestic violence, the distance only adds isolation. Women living in rural communities experience domestic violence rates that are nearly twice as high as those in urban areas.   

Women living in a small community also face many additional barriers to fleeing an abuser. Lack of accessible resources, knowing everyone in the community, and little access to transportation can all factor into perpetuating the cycle of abuse.    

Join us as we see how domestic violence disproportionately affects women living in rural communities, and how barriers created in smaller communities make fleeing an abuser even more difficult.   

Women Fleeing Violence and Access to Healthcare

While both men and women are impacted by intimate partner violence, women make up the vast majority of cases, and are also more likely to be seriously injured or killed as a result of incidents of domestic violence. For example, of the 81 intimate partner victims of violations causing death reported by police in 2016, 63 (78%) were female.  

After escaping abuse, women and children fleeing violence must be able to access a variety of social services in order to rebuild their lives. One of the most necessary services and often a first step after experiencing violence is to seek physical and mental healthcare.  

While healthcare in Canada is universal, there are prevalent stigmas and biases that can make it difficult for many to not only access healthcare, but to receive effective and respectful treatment.  

Can Having a Disability Alter the Experience of Domestic Violence?

Women living with one or more disabilities disproportionately experience violence, including domestic violence. In fact, compared to non-disabled women, they are nearly twice as likely to experience sexual or physical assault by an intimate partner in their lifetime.  

Living with a disability can also impact the way abuse is experienced. How a disability affects one physically, mentally, financially, or otherwise could become something an abuser uses against a woman. 

The way women experience abuse can also be influenced by their disability. The physical, mental, financial and other implications of their disability could potentially be exploited by their abuser.  

Further, the challenges faced because of a disability can add an additional layer of hardship when fleeing. Finding a safe space that provides all the necessary amenities to accommodate unique needs can be difficult for a woman living with one or more disabilities. Today we dig deeper into how having a disability changes the way abuse and fleeing an abuser is experienced.