Rural women face unique challenges in escaping domestic violence

Women in rural New Brunswick face unique challenges in escaping intimate partner violence, according to the findings ofanew report released bytheMurielMcQueenFergussonCentre on Monday.

Rina Arseneault, theassociate director of theMuriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, saidthe project included interviews with survivors of domestic violence and the support workers who try to help them in New Brunswick.

She saidthere are more challenges toescapean abusive partnerin rural settings for many reasons.

"It's farther away from urban centres where most of the services are located," Arseneault told Information Morning Moncton.

Travel can be difficult, particularly in the winter, and when limited transportation options could mean having to take the same ferry as their abuser to attend court, for example.

Other barriers include fears about being able to findemployment, the lack of access to education, daycare, and health services, and inadequate housing and social services.

"Some of the other issues are certainly with small towns so living in the same town as your partner."

Arseneault saidmore conservative attitudes in small communities can make it more difficult for women to come forward, especially if the woman isn't from the community but the man is.

"The community will have atendencyof being more supportive to him than to her because she's seen as an outsider," she said.

She saidcoming forward can also be more difficult in small towns because memories are long.

"If you are a family that has struggled then the community remembers that and so that family from generation to generation will be looked at differently," Arseneault explains.

Servicecut in rural areas adds to challenge

Arseneaultsaidbesides community attitudes,rural women are also struggling because many services have been cut in small communities.

"One of[the services]that is notthere in a lot ofrural communitiesis support groups for the women but also treatment groups for the men," she said.

"So even if the judge does say that he does have to go totreatment, if he doesn't have a way to get to the treatment there's apossibilityhe won't go."

Information Morning - Moncton12:31Rural Realities

Rina Arseneault of the Murial McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, talks about a new report on intimate partner violence.

Arseneault adds the justice system is very difficult to navigateand with fewer victim support workers andlonger travel distances, challenges are compounded for women every step of the way.

"Calling the police is not easy, going tocourt is not easymost of the time if she goes to court so will he," she said.

"So she will have toencounterhimsomewhereand so it could be the parking garage, which is a very difficult place to encounter your partner if you're scared of him."

Arseneault hopes the report,entitled Rural Realities Faced by Service Providers and Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence When Navigatingthe Justice System,will be the first step to improving supportin rural communities by helping rural and urbanservice providersto work together and share what resources still exist.

"Depending on where you come from and depending on who you are you may receive all the support you need or you may be looked as somebody... asking for trouble."

In New Brunswick, 48 per cent of people live in rural areas in communities with less than 1,000 people.

The projectincluded focus groups held in anglophone and francophone communities, includingCharlotte County, Restigouche County and in two First Nations communities in New Brunswick.

The report was launched by the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre For Family Violence Research and the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers during a workshop held at the Crowne Plaza in Frederictonon Monday morning.

We promised to rural New Brunswick that we're going to be doing some steps towards being able to do something really concrete in order to move forward.- Rina Arseneault, associate director

"I've got to tell you, before I started this project [three years ago], I thought I knew the issues, and I thought I knew the opportunities," Arseneault told the crowd of service providers, academics, and policy makers from across the province.

"But I'mhere to tell you today thatIhave a better handle, really what's happening in our rural communities and how amazing they are, how survival is really their second name."

The workshop included a panel and small group discussions aimed at coming up with "doable"recommendations.

"We really want to move this forward," said Arseneault. "We promised to rural New Brunswick that we're going to be doing some steps towards being able to do something really concrete in order to move forward - and moving with their help."

Recommendations from the workshop will be presented to the "leaders of New Brunswick," she said.

Intimate partner violence includes physical, emotional, sexual and economic abuse.