In What Ways Does Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Against Iranian Women Change After They Have Experienced Forced Immigration?

In this research, I explored different forms of IPV before and after immigration. Feminism and theories developed by Foucault guided the study to further understand IPV by addressing issues related to power inequities, structural constraints, and oppressions within society. Applying a narrative approach, I recruited three Iranian refugee women who were survivors of IPV and have experienced IPV before and after immigration. Snowball sampling techniques were used for recruitment and semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect relevant data. Through thematic analysis, seven main themes were defined, which shape different forms of IPV pre- and post-immigration. These themes are defined as different types of physical, sexual and psychological violence as well as economic abuse, internalizing men’s power by women, immigration statues, financial dependency, cultural and patriarchal sets of beliefs, social supports, and living in Iranian communities before and after immigration.