Racial and Gender-Based Violence in the Healthcare System: Experiences of Filipino Healthcare Workers


Rose Ann Torres, School of Social Work, Algoma University; Valerie Damasco, Trent University

It is widely held that racialized and immigrant healthcare professionals face immense challenges in the workplace because of compounding stressors, including adaptation, acculturation, burnout, discrimination, and violence. Particularly, Filipino immigrants are less likely to seek support for mental health issues due to the stigma related to help-seeking and the discomfort associated with obtaining assistance through conventional workplace programs and services. Thus, to support the health, mental health, well-being, safety, and retention of Filipinos in frontline healthcare work, an understanding of workplace practices is important. It is also fundamental to explore the cultural and structural dimensions related to providing these supports to Filipino healthcare workers. The pandemic has given rise to violence against healthcare workers and exacerbated issues related to stress and burnout. Filipino healthcare workers have faced threats to their health, safety, and economic stability. These challenges have coincided with a surge in racialized and xenophobic hatred directed at Asian communities. They have endured harassment, violence, and discrimination within institutions and communities. Despite the persistence of these issues, very little has been done to protect healthcare workers, particularly those from racialized backgrounds, from workplace violence and mistreatment. The literature extensively underscores the profound effects of workplace violence on the well-being of healthcare workers and their impact on patient care. Existing evidence suggests that violence is normalized within workplaces, underreported, and the lack of action to prevent further occurrences. In this presentation, we will discuss the gendered and racial violence experienced by Filipino healthcare workers within formal healthcare institutions, factors that contribute to these incidents, and the coping mechanisms they employ. Our objective is to draw from the insights gained from this research to inform recommendations for governments, hospital administrators, and community stakeholders to create a secure and safe environment for racialized healthcare workers.

This paper will be presented at the following session: