Summary

In Brazil, reproductive rights are limited, despite the incessant struggle of women’s movements. With one of the strictest legislations on abortion in the world, Brazil is among those with the highest use of modern contraceptive methods among women, being the highest in Latin America. The most widely used methods are birth control pills (29.7%) and tubal ligations (14%), according to a 2019 UN report. This paper aims to problematize, after quantitative data, the high use of sterilization in women, in a context of weak reproductive rights, including the illegality of abortion, in Brazil. According to the family planning law, sterilization must obey a regulation that foresees a series of criteria. Among them, it is stipulated that the woman must be attended by a multidisciplinary team that includes social workers. In this sense, the actions of these professionals are questioned, since data collected from official websites of the Health Ministry point out that black and indigenous women, from poorer regions of the country, have been the most sterilized since 2008, with an increase between 2016 and 2019. In a scenario of economic and political crisis, with reduced funding for social policies, it is relevant to address the issue, since the demand for sterilizations tends to grow, even more if pregnancy termination is not a possibility. However, the discussion about abortion is avoided by social workers, with the justification of the limit placed by the 1940 legislation. It is necessary that social workers begin to debate the legalization of abortion as a women’s health and life issue, not only because abortion is among the four greatest causes of maternal mortality in the country, but because all women should have the right to decide when to have children and should be able to change their minds at any time during their reproductive age.

Keywords (separate with commas)

reproductive rights, sterilization of women, abortion.\ 

Summary

Immigrants constitute 15% of the U.S. population. Immigrant experiences are influenced by a multitude of factors, including federal policies, which shift with changing administrations. Yet, little is known about the comparative experiences of immigrants under the two most recent presidents, both of whom maintained a heavy focus on immigration. The study we present is the first one to make this comparison. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 1st and 2nd generation immigrants under both the Trump (n=490) and Biden (n=306) administrations. Sampling for each survey included non-probability quota and convenience techniques. Survey questions inquired about immigration-policy stress, discrimination, resilience and border stress. For policy-related stress, race/ethnicity significantly correlated with policy-related stress under Trump, with White participants having lower scores compared to Black. Women were also found to have less policy-related stress under Trump. For discrimination, White participants reported less perceived discrimination compared to Black/African American participants. Women reported lower perceived discrimination compared to men under both Trump and Biden though race/ethnicity was not significant under Biden. In terms of resilience, White participants had higher scores compared to Black/African American participants, though race/ethnicity was not significant under Biden. Finally, border stress was lower among women than men under both Trump and Biden. For race/ethnicity, White participants had lower border stress than Black/African American participants under Trump. Findings expand upon previous literature that highlights stress associated with exclusionary immigration policies, which were more prevalent under the Trump administration. Social workers should engage in policy advocacy to reduce the burden placed on immigrants of color in exclusionary policy contexts. They can influence positive attitudes among Americans to allow for more social harmony and acceptance of immigrants in the U.S. To support immigrant integration, the study team intends to develop an awareness intervention for social workers engaging with immigrants.

Keywords (separate with commas)

immigrants, policy, exclusionary, social workers

Summary

Background: New immigrants are one of most vulnerable sections of the Canadian society. Unable to enter Canada’s strictly regulated professions and trades, several skilled and qualified immigrants take up precarious jobs without adequate occupational health and safety training. When they sustain workplace injury, many of these workers experience challenges getting timely post injury support to recover and return to work. While the incidence of common mental disorders like depression and anxiety is known to be high among migrant workers, across the globe, there is limited Canadian research that has examined the mental health challenges experienced by new immigrant workers who take up precarious employment and sustain injury.  Objectives: The purpose of this research was to examine specific work challenges faced by new immigrant workers and the impact of these on their mental health and well being. Methods: Using an interpretive research approach and semi-structured face to face interviews, 42 new immigrant workers engaged in precarious work and from a range of industries operating in Alberta, Canada, were interviewed. A constant comparative approach was used to identify key themes across the workers’ experiences. Results: The findings reveal several work conditions, that adversely affected the mental health of these workers, before and after sustaining a work injury.  Conclusion: Based on the insights of study participants, inclusive policies, practices, and interventions informed by their needs and preferences are proposed that can improve the overall health and well-being of new immigrant workers in Canada. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

new immigrant workers, precarious work, mental health

Summary

Data from the 2020 census reports that Texas (USA) has added almost four million people to the total population in the last decade. While people of color drove approximately 95% of the population growth, Hispanic/Latino Texans are responsible for almost half of that growth. As Southeast Texas continues to promote disaster preparedness and works to strengthen community resiliency due to the common occurrence of natural disasters, it is imperative that we understand the experiences and perspectives of the Hispanic/Latino immigrant population as it relates to disaster and practice with this population. With literature explaining that culture influences perception of disaster preparedness, how people react during a crisis, coping mechanisms, natural support networks, trust for community authority figures, and knowledge of emergency procedures, professionals can infer that cultural factors play a direct role in a person’s capacity for resiliency in the face of disaster.\ This presentation will share the results of a qualitative research study that seeks to better understand the experiences and perspectives of self-identified Hispanic/Latino immigrants as they have endured and recovered from disaster in Southeast Texas. Using Photovoice and journaling samples, the data provided will give a visual representation of the ways in which immigrant populations are uniquely affected by disaster and can therefore impact and strengthen both practice and policy for professionals working within disaster management in our communities.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Hispanic/Latino immigrants, natural disaster, recovery, resiliency, culture, Photovoice,\