Promoting Context-Informed Perspective Among Service Providers Treating Young Arab Women Who Were Abused in Childhood in Israel

Objective: The aim of our study was to identify social service barriers experienced by young Arab women (a marginalized population) in Israel and barriers experienced by those seeking to provide those services. Method: We presented participants in two focus groups of service providers (N=18) with the perspectives of young Arab women who had been abused in childhood and their barriers to service use, which stimulated a reflective discourse on these barriers. Results: Three main themes emerged from the focus groups: (a) service providers' perceptions of young Arab women, (b) service providers' perceptions of the barriers to service use among young Arab women (barriers related to stagnation, the failure of services to meet the needs of young Arab women, and the gap between the needs of the young Arab women and the resources available to them), and (c) service providers' perception of the sociopolitical context. Service providers also shared critical observations regarding discrimination and other barriers to the provision of services, as well as practical and personal insights. Conclusion: Service providers should provide a safe feminine space and share dialogue with young women, which requires not labelling or judging them but instead recognizing the knowledge that they have about themselves and their lives (especially those with marginalized identities) as well as their strengths and their intersecting contexts.