Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title:  Life on the margins: The experiences of sexual violence and exploitation among Eritrean 
asylum -seeking women in Israel  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Mar 2018 
 
Reviewer:  Catherine  Cerulli  
 
Reviewer’s report:  
 
This work is very important. It might make a bigger contribution to the field if you add a bit 
about how this model of analysis mig ht be helpful for other marginalized populations - in many 
countries. While it may be obvious to you - it may help to add a few sentences about this notion. 
I immediately thought about women in my own community who are shipped out in the middle of 
the nigh t and dropped at parks: women in reentry from prison, leaving abusive homes, etc. Very 
nice paper and thank you for the opportunity to read it. The following review is in the hopes of 
helping you improve the article prior to publication.  
 
 
Title: While at f irst the title seemed long, it grew on me. It has a catchy primer, followed by the 
who what where and why. Nicely done.  
 
 
Abstract: Perhaps start the first sentence, In Israel, not putting the location for the sentence at the 
end. The rest of it is great.  
 
 
Keywords: I would keep asylum in the keywords. Perhaps also add policy.  
 
 
Introduction: Page 6, line 44, add a comma after 2015. Place second half of sentence in active 
voice.  
 
Page 9, line 4, you note three reasons for picking the stage of migration but on ly two are noted.  
 
 
Methods: Please put the methods section in the active voice (i.e. p. 10, line 29). I have never seen 
focus groups used in the way it is used for this study - focused groups.  We routinely use "focus 
group or groups" without the additiona l "ed" at the end. Please site what happened to the first 
half of the study addressing contraception. Is it a different article - if so - state that. Perhaps note 
on page 10 line 54 that you have a portfolio of research happening - this paper addresses a 
narrow question and provide other citations for your team members. I am still unclear if there 
was intercoder reliability. I very much appreciate your member checking phase, but I am 
concerned that there was no other investigators who provided intercoder re liability. The handling 
of the transcripts and back translation sounds excellent. Please note whether participants were 
paid, provided food or drink, etc. Also - please provide more information regarding how the 
participant safety was handled when safety i ssues arose within the interviews and/or focus 
groups. Lastly, how were mental health issues handled during the study given the trauma many 
had experienced. I very much appreciated the inclusion of men in your study and their 
perspectives. To begin to crea te bystander interventions, we must understand bystander actions 
and beliefs.  
 
 
Findings: Your team did an excellent job of providing insight before and after the participants 
quotes. I am not sure you need the quotation marks as you have set them aside wit h italics and 
indents. I defer to the editor.  I would love to see more quotes - but you may be facing an issue of 
space. If that is the problem, you may be able to delete some of the discussion which is 
duplicative of the introduction, or vice -versa.  
 
 
Limitations: Nicely stated.  
 
 
Discussion: Please reread and rework your discussion regarding grammar and sentence structure. 
I think it flows well, but there are few compound sentences that need punctuation. The 
discussion is excellent and this reviewer apprec iated the policy suggestions. I recommend adding 
- see above - a few lines about how this approach is applicable to other marginalized populations. 
Lastly, I think a diagram would be helpful - either for the model or your phases of work.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, o r salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publ ication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
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below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
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