Getting help in rural/remote communities can be hard

Violence against women is a widespread societal problem impacting all socio-economic, cultural, racial and religious backgrounds. However, there are socialized characteristics that may increase vulnerability to abuse and/or make it more difficult to leave. Where a woman lives is one such characteristic.

In order to support women in rural/remote communities leaving abuse, we must first understand what the realities of this violence can mean and how it can impact a woman’s ability to get help and/or leave.

A woman’s geographic location is one element of their culture that can have a profound impact on their experience of violence. Women in rural communities are subjected to violence in unique ways and face different barriers to leaving abuse because of factors specific to where they live. Life in a rural community also creates unique opportunities for the abuser in terms of the tactics and forms of abuse they may use.

Additionally, the following factors may arise:

• A lack of shelters means more women remain in abusive relationships because they may be unable to go to a shelter in a different community. There are a number of reasons a woman may be unable to go to another community for support:
  • They farm with their partner
  • Their children attend school in the community
  • Employment may require close proximity (for example, driving a school bus)
  • They not want to move far from friends and family
• Affordable housing is in even more high demand in rural communities where there is generally less rental housing.
• A scarcity of lawyers makes it more difficult to retain one.
  • Their former partner may have used the only lawyer in town at some time in the past, which would mean that lawyer could not represent the woman.
  • The former partner could visit every lawyer in town specifically to make them inaccessible to the woman.
• The fear created by firearms in the house.
• Their role on the family farm may make it very difficult to even consider leaving, especially if the farm is in the abuser’s family or if they have threatened to destroy the business or harm/kill farm animals.
• A woman may remain with their partner because poor economic conditions make seeking employment more challenging.
• Because of distances, they may not be able to call on family for practical support, which can increase vulnerability to abuse.

The content of this blog is taken from our resource, Going the Distance. This resource was developed for service providers, policy makers and others supporting rural and remote abuse survivors with their family law issues.

Additional resources:
Rural Roots: Seeing, naming and changing intimate partner violence in rural communities
Managing family law issues in rural & remote communities