Confidence and connectedness: Indigenous Māori women's views on personal safety in the context of intimate partner violence

ABSTRACT

Māori (New Zealand) women, similar to women belonging to Indigenous and minority groups globally, have high levels of lifetime abuse, assault, and homicide, and are over-represented in events that compromise their safety. We sought insights into how Māori women view safety. Twenty Māori women's narratives revealed safety as a holistic concept involving a number of different elements. We found women had developed an acute sense of the concept of safety. They had firm views and clear strategies to maintain their own safety and that of their female family and friends. These women also provided insights into their experiences of feeling unsafe.

Funding

Auckland University of Technology National Institute of Public Health and Mental Health Research funded this research (IPMH Seeding Grant-11).