Decolonizing Approach to Understanding Intimate Partner Violence in Belize

Abstract

Countries like Belize, located in the Global South, often have limited financial resources to address problems such as intimate partner violence, and financial support from the Global North is often accompanied by the inherent problems caused by the effects of colonization. As violence is one of the leading causes of death for women in Belize, the need to understand the reasons is pronounced. A decolonized approached is utilized to center the voices of women who had been victims of intimate partner violence. In conducting this research I address, the W questions: who, why, where, and how, in order to recognize my role in the research process and to center the voices of the collaborators. All of the collaborators, through sharing their stories, revealed the impact of colonization on how they see themselves and the world around them. These findings indicate the need for further research on the effects of colonization, as well as the decolonization methods needed in order to restructure how victims of intimate partner abuse are treated and provided support