How to provide culturally safe care for women from diverse ethnic backgrounds experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence (FDSV)

Primary health staff work across culturally diverse communities and, as the frontline of the health system, play a key role in identifying and responding to domestic, family and sexual violence (FDSV). This session will build an understanding of the context and impact of FDSV for women of minority ethnic backgrounds and will develop your understanding of the skills, self-awareness, and whole-of-practice collaboration required to support your patients.

Domestic violence does not discriminate and can occur within families of all cultural backgrounds. Women from minority ethnic communities may experience additional risk factors, including racial discrimination, loss of social networks, acculturative stress, and insecure visa status that can lead to power imbalances in relationships. These communities may also face additional barriers to seeking help for FDSV, including institutional racial discrimination, language and communication issues, fear and distrust of authorities, community norms that discourage disclosure, and a lack of access to culturally appropriate services and resources 

As the frontline of the health care system, GPs work across culturally diverse communities and have a very important role to play in proactively identifying and sensitively responding to patients from all backgrounds who may be experiencing FDSV. It is essential that they understand the issues that their patients of minority ethnic backgrounds may be experiencing and the barriers that may inhibit disclosures. It is important to build skills and self-awareness to provide culturally safe care. This session addresses these key learning needs, enhancing capacity to provide sensitive, culturally responsive support for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds experiencing FDSV.  

Speakers

Clinical Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis, AM, is a leading women’s health expert, government advisor and a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Department of General Practice. 

Magdalena has been a member of the national family violence steering committee and helped develop resources with Safer Families specifically around information sharing and the MARAM framework. 

She continues to deliver family violence training through Safer Families and RACGP. Magdalena is a long-standing member of the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care and is the elected Australian Medical Association Federal General Practice Representative.

In 2023 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to health through various roles and to women’s health

Assunta Morrone brings more than three decades of leadership and frontline experience spanning the health, community, and family violence sectors. She is recognised for her deep expertise in culturally responsive practice and her strategic leadership across governance, policy, and advocacy.

A long-time advocate for migrant and refugee communities, Assunta has guided major cultural diversity programs within health organisations, advised multicultural committees, and worked alongside communities to design inclusive services that reflect lived experience.

Her understanding of gender-based violence is informed by years of direct engagement with women and children in crisis, recovery, and prevention. She leads with empathy and integrity, driving systemic change through collaboration and a strong commitment to cultural safety and equity.

Dr Heshani Samantha De Silva is a Sri Lankan Australian who lives on Gadigal Land. She is a clinical psychologist at a private practice and a family violence researcher at the University of Melbourne and at Anti-Slavery Australia (based at the University of Technology Sydney). 

As a child survivor of family violence, she recognised the gaps in the support systems for culturally and linguistically diverse peoples in Australia. Her focus is on helping close those gaps. She has been a member of the WEAVERS group since 2021 and has been involved in several projects across the years. 

In her spare time Heshani likes to run, crochet, sew, read, and be the worst but most enthusiastic player on her soccer team. 

Learning outcomes:

• Discuss the context and impact of DFSV for women of ethnic and racial minority backgrounds.
• Outline how to identify, assess the level of risk and safety, and in culturally appropriate way respond to women with a minority ethnic/racial background who are at risk of, or are experiencing, DFSV.
• Explain the barriers women of ethnic and racial minority backgrounds may experience when seeking support for DFSV.
• Reflect upon the importance of health practitioner self-awareness of individual cultural biases and assumptions.
• Describe factors that promote a culturally safe environment in primary care for women from ethnic and racial minority backgrounds presenting with DFSV.