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Davila Lara, G. Yazmin

University of British Columbia

In 2015, the WHO released a call to action to stop violence against women. This call to action has been translated into initiatives to improve health and social policies and services. Health system integration, defined as the process to improve healthcare performance, can better organize and integrate the care of people, especially those experiencing inequities. For women who experience marginalization and intimate partner violence (IPV), health system integration has the potential to address inequities. This dissertation involved three phases to illuminate how health system integration and equity-based services can support women who experience marginalization and IPV. Phase 1 (Scoping Review), involved a comprehensive review of Canadian literature on health system integration and equity-based services to meet women’s needs. Phase 2 (Policy Analysis), involved the analysis of publicly available documents for the design and delivery of services related to the care for women in British Columbia (BC). Phase 3 (Discussion Session), involved a virtual session with women and relevant contributors to gather their insights, and develop recommendations for action in the Southern Interior of BC. Results demonstrated: a) services based on health equity limited social exclusion by supporting women’s healing processes; b) understanding the diversity of the needs of multiple groups of women is essential for women-centred care; c) providers often did not recognize the complexity of women’s experiences and reproduced systemic violence; d) a cross-sectoral approach facilitated the approval of policy actions related to care for women in BC. Key recommendations included: implementing a formal process of integrating women’s voices and direction in the design of policies and services locally, provincially, and nationally; and reinforcing trauma- and violence-informed care across sectors and levels of care. To limit further inequities, community-based approaches that consider preventive actions are fundamental to challenge violence, and enhancements in housing, justice, and financial supports are needed.

Text

2022-08-25

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/82522

Interdisciplinary Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/