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

Abstract

Maori (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 Maori women view safety. Twenty Maori 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.