An exploration of domestic violence against Muslim women in China

Abstract

This paper explores the abusive experiences ofHui Muslim women by using data from qualitative research conducted in west China. Their diverse experiences, which are understudied, show the complex and dynamic nature of domestic violence. This research study uses Foucauldian framework and feminist approaches to examine the Hui Muslim women's experiences and their negotiations and resistances in the system of gender relations considering their social status, religion, and domestic roles in households. By using snowball sampling method, this study deployed face-to-face interviews with 14 women who are identified as being abused by their husbands and who lived in either the city or the small town of Qinghai in China. The findings revealed that the Hui women were vulnerable to the violence because of their low social status, low educational background, and minority ethnic identity. Within the ethnic group, each of them has had different experiences of multiple oppressions considering their diverse institutional and individual contexts. Under the oppressions, a fear of being ignored, discriminated, and marginalized resulted in the Hui women's tolerance or silence toward abuse or maltreatment. Until the violence becomes unbearable, they would deal with the abuse and find solutions by themselves rather than seeking outsiders' help. In addition, their experiences show that they are not only powerless but also resistant to violence. Their negotiation of the self under a social control and structural inequality reveals their autonomy and wisdom. They are specifically situated but hold distinctive and unique understandings that are inaccessible to others. Each woman has unique experiences. These findings illustrate a need for more research on domestic violence against Muslim women in order to make intellectuals, women's agencies, global anti-violence activists, and the Chinese government pay attention to the issue of domestic violence and improve their support services.