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Background Marginalized Roma communities (MRCs) in Slovakia experience longstanding exclusion from essential services, including healthcare. Roma women, in particular, face compounded vulnerabilities that contribute to unequal access and poorer health outcomes. Despite increasing attention to these issues, a deeper understanding of the lived experiences that shape healthcare access in MRCs remains necessary. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 13 Roma mothers living in MRCs and 13 professionals working in healthcare, public health, or policy, including six of Roma origin. Data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research and thematic analysis to identify significant access barriers. Results Roma women face multiple, often interconnected barriers to accessing healthcare, many of which are rooted in longstanding structural inequalities. These include distrust of the health system stemming from prior discrimination, difficulties in understanding health-related information and navigating the system, and financial hardship. On the side of healthcare providers, barriers involve shortages in the healthcare workforce, poor care coordination, and discriminatory attitudes. Conclusions Improving access to healthcare for Roma women requires a comprehensive, multi-level strategy. Efforts should focus on building trust, improving communication, addressing financial and systemic obstacles, and investing in culturally sensitive primary care. Health promotion assistants play a crucial role in bridging the gaps between communities and healthcare providers. Culturally sensitive healthcare interventions and inclusive policies are essential to reducing health disparities and promoting equitable access.

Domestic violence is a pervasive global problem that affects individuals, particularly women, regardless of their status, class, or ethnicity. It is especially prevalent in marginalised communities across the African continent, where the abuse poses severe physical and mental health risks for survivors. This research examines the widespread problem of enduring domestic violence within the institution of marriage, with a specific focus on the experiences of women living in the marginalised communities of Mankweng, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Utilising a qualitative research design, the study conducted in-depth interviews with women who experienced various forms of abuse in their matrimonial homes. Through thematic analysis, the researchers uncovered these women’s complex narratives, shedding light on their encounters with different types of abuse, the coping strategies they employ, and the challenges they face when seeking intervention. The findings highlight the urgent need for community-based support systems, legal reforms, and awareness campaigns to empower women and safeguard their rights within marriage. The insights gained from this research are intended to catalyse change, and your role as academics, policymakers, and advocates is crucial in the development of strategies that can help women in underprivileged communities break free from the cycle of enduring abuse in matrimonial homes.

Domestic violence is a pervasive global problem that affects individuals, particularly women, regardless of their status, class, or ethnicity. It is especially prevalent in marginalised communities across the African continent, where the abuse poses severe physical and mental health risks for survivors. This research examines the widespread problem of enduring domestic violence within the institution of marriage, with a specific focus on the experiences of women living in the marginalised communities of Mankweng, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Utilising a qualitative research design, the study conducted in-depth interviews with women who experienced various forms of abuse in their matrimonial homes. Through thematic analysis, the researchers uncovered these women’s complex narratives, shedding light on their encounters with different types of abuse, the coping strategies they employ, and the challenges they face when seeking intervention. The findings highlight the urgent need for community-based support systems, legal reforms, and awareness campaigns to empower women and safeguard their rights within marriage. The insights gained from this research are intended to catalyse change, and your role as academics, policymakers, and advocates is crucial in the development of strategies that can help women in underprivileged communities break free from the cycle of enduring abuse in matrimonial homes.

Domestic violence is a pervasive global problem that affects individuals, particularly women, regardless of their status, class, or ethnicity. It is especially prevalent in marginalised communities across the African continent, where the abuse poses severe physical and mental health risks for survivors. This research examines the widespread problem of enduring domestic violence within the institution of marriage, with a specific focus on the experiences of women living in the marginalised communities of Mankweng, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Utilising a qualitative research design, the study conducted in-depth interviews with women who experienced various forms of abuse in their matrimonial homes. Through thematic analysis, the researchers uncovered these women’s complex narratives, shedding light on their encounters with different types of abuse, the coping strategies they employ, and the challenges they face when seeking intervention. The findings highlight the urgent need for community-based support systems, legal reforms, and awareness campaigns to empower women and safeguard their rights within marriage. The insights gained from this research are intended to catalyse change, and your role as academics, policymakers, and advocates is crucial in the development of strategies that can help women in underprivileged communities break free from the cycle of enduring abuse in matrimonial homes.

Access to affordable and reliable energy sources can substantially enhance the lives of marginalized communities in rural areas. Unfortunately, numerous households in these communities rely upon unclean sources of energy such as kerosene to light the house even during daylight. To address this issue, solar off-grid technology - Micro Solar Dome (MSD) was implemented in various states across India, specifically benefiting the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. The study, across the eight selected states, highlights the advantages of adopting off-grid technologies and their roles in promoting awareness of renewable energy solutions. The survey used purposive sampling to collect community members’ perceptions of the product’s benefits and their awareness of renewable technologies. The results indicated that the utilization of the product not only enhanced illumination levels within households but also contributed to improved safety, increased study hours for children, and facilitated economic activities during the evening hours. Furthermore, the study revealed that education plays a crucial role in adopting solar energy. However, interventions such as awareness programs and hands-on experiences with the products can also greatly enhance awareness and promote adoption in rural areas. Overall, the study provided compelling evidence of the significant and positive impact that small-scale initiatives like the MSD can have on the lives of marginalized communities. It also emphasized the potential of such solutions to empower these communities and improve their overall well-being.

The preponderance of Western methods, practices, standards, and classifications in the manner in which new technology-related knowledge is created and globalised has led to calls for more inclusive approaches to design. A decolonisation project is concerned with how researchers might contribute to dismantling and re-envisioning existing power relations, resisting past biases, and balancing Western heavy influences in technology design by foregrounding the authentic voices of the indigenous people in the entire design process. We examine how the establishment of local Global South HCI communities (AfriCHI and ArabHCI) has led to the enactment of decolonisation practices. Specifically, we seek to uncover how decolonisation is perceived in the AfriCHI and ArabHCI communities as well as the extent to which both communities are engaged with the idea of decolonisation without necessarily using the term. We drew from the relevant literature, our own outsider/insider lived experiences, and the communities’ responses to an online anonymised survey to highlight three problematic but interrelated practical paradoxes: a terminology, an ethical, and a micro-colonisation paradox. We argue that these paradoxes expose the dilemmas faced by local non-Western researchers as they pursue decolonisation thinking. This article offers a blended perspective on the decolonisation debate in HCI, CSCW, and the practice-based CSCW scholarly communities and invites researchers to examine their research work using a decolonisation lens.

The African Union (AU) has long been committed to achieving peace and stability on the continent through its “Silencing the Guns” initiative. However, the effectiveness of this approach has been questioned, as it often neglects the voices and needs of marginalised communities. This research aims to explore the dual test faced by the AU in conflict management and governance: should they continue to prioritise silencing the guns or amplify the voices of those affected by conflict? Through a qualitative methodology amidst a detailed case study approach, this study analyses the AU’s policies and interventions in conflict-affected regions. The findings reveal that while the AU’s military interventions have mitigated immediate threats, they have often overlooked the critical need for inclusive governance and the empowerment of marginalised communities, further shedding light on the complexities of peace-building while providing valuable insights for future conflict management strategies.

The provision of political goods and governance in marginalised local communities, located in Cape Town, South Africa, during the national lockdown periods (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) is described. The focus is on an African city, drawing attention to the growing importance of urban governance on the continent. Rapid urbanisation and emergency periods (such as the pandemic) are adding to the complexity of the urban space. This study found that communities in the city relied mostly on themselves for the provision of goods, and that the provision of security remains a critical political good, informing governance. However, the findings confront literature on a hierarchy of political goods, in which security is at the apex. In the given context, the sequence of the provision of goods changes to a non-hierarchical process. The fulfilment of other political goods will facilitate improved provision of security. Good governance needs to be informed by an integrated approach to, and the synchronous fulfilment of, political goods. Significance: • During times of emergencies, already marginalised urban communities experience greater political neglect and are left to protect themselves and to provide for each other. • These communities experience desertion across the spectrum of political goods. • Resilience in such communities needs to be improved through good governing principles. • Although optimal local level governance relies heavily on the provision of security, the importance of the provision of education, employment, political freedom, housing, and health services (to mention a few) requires renewed attention.

This book is part of a concentrated series of books that examines child maltreatment across minoritized, cultural groups.Specifically, this volume addresses American Indian and Alaska Native populations. However, in an effort to contextualize the experiences of 574 federally recognized tribes and 50+ state recognized tribes, as well as villages, the authors focus on populations within rural and remote regions and discuss the experiences of some tribal communities throughout US history. It should be noted that established research has primarily drawn attention to the pervasive problems impacting Indigenous individuals, families, and communities. Aligned with an attempt to adhere to a decolonizing praxis, the authors share information in a strength-based framework for the Indigenous communities discussed within the text. The authors review federally funded programs (prevention, intervention, and treatment) that have been adapted for tribal communities (e.g., Safecare) and include cultural teachings that address child maltreatment. The intention of this book is to inform researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and advocates about the current state of child maltreatment from an Indigenous perspective.

Background This article presents findings from the ‘Diverse Experiences and Understandings of Immunity in the Pandemic Age’ project. The aim of this research was to identify how Australians from specific communities who are perceived to be more at risk of COVID-19 and mpox experience and understand the relationship between human immunity, health, and illness in the age of existing and emerging infectious diseases and pandemics. Methods Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with four key sub-groups: (i) people identifying as LGBTQIA+; (ii) people with lived experience of HIV; (iii) hepatitis B (HBV); and/or (iv) hepatitis C (HCV). These sub-groups were included in the study because they have extensive experience in dealing with infectious disease prevention and management, as well as facing the social stigma and marginalisation that are often part of these experiences. Furthermore, some members of these communities are among those most at risk of contracting COVID-19 and mpox and subsequently experiencing severe or prolonged disease. Findings Thematic analysis captured key findings as related to accessibility and acceptability of public health initiatives; access to health services; public health communication and education; and connection and support. Participants’ responses highlight how successful interactions between health communication strategies, inclusive health service delivery, social supports and public health protections, together with community organisations’ services, education campaigns and other supports, can alleviate the impacts of inequalities related to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and mpox. Conclusions The article discusses participants’ views on how health communication, public health, and community support initiatives have helped or hindered their efforts to keep well since the outbreak of COVID-19 and mpox. It includes recommendations for how these agencies and initiatives can better support communities of people faced with social discrimination and other inequalities in the future.