The Invisible Need of Immigrant Women Experiencing Domestic Violence: A Systematic Review and Implications for Service Access

Domestic violence against women is a complex global challenge, with critical implications for vulnerable groups, particularly immigrant women. This phenomenon intersects cultural, social, gender, and migratory status issues, often eluding institutional attention. This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive overview of the distinctive characteristics of domestic violence against immigrant women, the barriers hindering access to support services, and their specific support needs. Through an analysis of studies published between 2000 and 2025, the review explores the multifaceted nature of this issue, focusing on the specific characteristics of violence and barriers to accessing support services. The findings highlight six main barriers to accessing support services: cultural norms and social pressures, fears related to immigration processes, economic dependence and practical barriers, lack of knowledge and familiarity with the system, linguistic and communication barriers, and social isolation and lack of support. These factors interact with stereotypes and gender expectations, creating a context where violence is often justified, normalized, or concealed. The review also identifies seven key support needs: safety and protection, culturally tailored services, economic and practical support, legal and informational support, counseling and emotional support, services for children and family support, and long-term support and empowerment. The intersection of immigrant status, gender, and cultural background generates complex experiences that require tailored interventions. The review emphasizes the importance of recognizing these specific challenges and calls for future research to prioritize methodologies capturing direct testimonies of immigrant women while analyzing cultural and structural obstacles perpetuating their vulnerability.