‘Beyond Borders’ is a podcast series exploring intersections of domestic violence, religion and migration in today’s globalised and conflict-affected world. The series aims to provoke new thinking and questions that can inform practice and policy in responses to domestic violence and interconnected forms of violence internationally, but especially in religious, migrant and ethnic minority contexts.

The fourth episode features Dr Natalia Paszkiewicz, who brings deep insight into refugee protection and policy. She’s currently working on a project ‘Making Aid Work for Displaced Women’ at the University of Birmingham, and previously supported as project manager and researcher the UKRI-funded project dldl/ድልድል at SOAS University of London. Her global fieldwork and applied research offer valuable lessons for building inclusive and effective support systems for displaced women.

In the episode, ⁠Dr Romina Istratii⁠ and Dr Paszkiewicz explore together numerous topical questions, including:

– Domestic violence in migrant and refugee populations and how hostile environments may hinder services utilisation
– Barriers to accessing domestic violence services
– The role of faith and cultural context in help-seeking behaviour

The podcast is intended for practitioners and policy makers who would like to understand better the current state of evidence and innovative research approaches on the topic of trauma and spiritual abuse to inform interventions on domestic violence and other forms of abuse.