🚧Barriers to Seeking Support for GBV
Most LGBTQIA+ people who experience GBV do not come forward to seek support for or report their cases, owing to the following barriers
Fear and distrust towards government agencies
A 2021 report found that 59% of 220 LGBTQIA+ respondents felt uncomfortable reporting cases of discrimination and violence to government agencies, the primary factor being a lack of trust (73%). This lack of trust is influenced by personal, vicarious, or communal experiences, including personal or vicarious negative experiences with the police, victim-blaming, retraumatization, fear of reprisal, and forced conversion practices. Even attempts at reporting cases of discrimination and violence are also perceived as increasing their vulnerability to violence.
Lack of knowledge and support to report cases
The same report has found that among LGBTQIA+ people who did not report cases of violence, 30.5% did not report because they did not know how to do so. LGBTQIA+ people with marginalized intersecting identities face additional barriers to access redress, including but not limited to a lack of translators and interpreters, lack of access to legal representation and recourse, digital divide, among others.
Lack of access to support services
In general, services for LGBTQIA+ people are severely underdeveloped in Malaysia. This includes shelter, counseling services, sexual violence response services, among others. Meanwhile, many existing support services are not inclusive or service providers may not be aware of the needs of LGBTQIA+ people. LGBTQIA+ groups have received reports about shelters requiring LGBTQIA+ people to change their gender expression and gender identity in order to access their services. Many shelters may not allow couples or may have not considered it as an issue to begin with it.
Lack of internal support systems for LGBTIQ and gender-diverse people
LGBTQIA+ people in non-accepting households and with fewer support systems may be less inclined to report GBV cases due to various reasons, including internalized guilt or shame, being blamed by their family members, complex relationships with their family members, and other related factors. Meanwhile, LGBTQIA+ people in abusive intimate partner violence relationships may be trapped in a cycle of abuse for a prolonged time due to fear of, among others,
losing their relationship or support system,
reprisals and sensationalism given that LGBTQ people are criminalized and stigmatized,
gendered and binary stereotypes about relationships.
Privacy concern
LGBTQIA+ people are fearful of privacy and confidentiality leaks, especially those who are not “out”. Reports show that LGBT people, especially PLHIV, are vulnerable to termination of employment and scholarship when their HIV status is disclosed to their prospective or current employers or educational institutions. Criminalization of LGBTQ people heightens concerns about their personal information being collected, stored, and shared. LGBTQIA+ groups have reported that this is a common concern particularly when LGBTQ people are seeking government services.
Lack of SOGIESC understanding among GBV response service providers
Studies have found that many GBV response service providers lack understanding of SOGIESC diversity.
Case Study: Lack of SOGIESC Understanding as a Barrier to Reporting:
Rabisan* is a trans man, who occasionally engages in sex work with male clients to make money. On one occasion, Rabisan was anally raped by a client. Rabisan did not seek medical treatment because he was embarrassed by the prospect of revealing his genitalia to a doctor. He said, “I was embarrassed. I couldn’t seek help. I would have to explain all these things, reveal my ‘parts.’”
Key Takeaways
Seeking medical attention that involves physical examination, specifically following a traumatic incident or violence can induce stress, anxiety, and gender dysphoria for trans, intersex, and non-binary people.
It is important for service providers to be sensitive and respectful in providing care for trans, intersex, and non-binary. Our ‘Integrating gender-neutral and affirming language in your services’ section provides some tips for using inclusive language
The following actions by service providers can have a positive impact on access to support services
Training service providers to understand the needs and how to respond to cases of sexual violence against trans people
Publicizing your services as transgender-friendly, inclusive, or affirming publicly, through trusted networks or based on your risk assessment.
Further reading
Source:
"I’m Scared to Be a Woman": Human Rights Abuses Against Transgender People in Malaysia (2014)
*Names changed to protect confidentiality
Being “out” refers to the disclosure of their sexual or gender identity. people who have not made a disclosure are referred to as being “not out”, or “in the closet”.
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