Election 2019 – Migrant and refugee women
WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE FOR WOMEN?
• A lack of policies that promote equality and inclusion of migrant and refugee women in Australia’s economic, social, cultural, civil and political life significantly reduces these women’s capacity to participate and contribute, and leaves them and their families vulnerable to short term shocks that could leave them further dependent on assistance in the long-run.
• Safety: Migrant and refugee women experience greater barriers to accessing support services for family, domestic or sexual violence, including: limited eligibility; isolation; community pressures; financial dependence; lack of knowledge of rights and available services; language barriers; fear of deportation; and fear of removal of children or perpetrator.
• Employment: Migrant and refugee women continue to lag behind their peers in labour force participation and unemployment rates, and are underrepresented in management positions. They face dual barriers to employment based on both cultural and gender norms. These include, but are not limited to: unconscious bias and discrimination; language and educational barriers; caring responsibilities; visa restrictions; gender and cultural expectations.
• Health: Migrant and refugee women face particular barriers to accessing health services, including limited knowledge of the health system, limited trust in health service providers, and language and cultural differences, further exacerbated by variable eligibility for non-citizens to access Medicare and private health insurance. They may experience greater vulnerability due to social stigmatisation of various women’s health-related topics, and are at increased risk of poorer health and wellbeing due to pre-migration experiences, including exposure to trauma, and post-settlement experiences.
• Justice: The justice system is a particularly alienating and intimidating institution for migrant and refugee women, who may have little understanding of Australia's processes, a distrust of institutions, low levels of English, and lived through traumatic experiences.