Migrant and refugee women’s safety and security study
Status: Completed
Project Team: Prof Marie Segrave in partnership with Harmony Alliance, and Prof Rebecca Wickes (Griffith University)
Funder: This study was undertaken with support from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women and Monash University.
Synopsis
Undertaken in 2020, the Migrant and refugee women in Australia: The safety and security study was the first national study to focus on migrant and refugee women’s safety and security of its type, that captures controlling behaviours related to the visa and migration status of women. The survey findings provide a foundation for important knowledge regarding the experiences and needs of women across Australia’s diverse migrant and refugee communities as we look towards a post-COVID-19 future.
The study draws on survey responses from 1,392 migrant and refugee women across Australia. The findings of the study offer key insights from which to build a more nuanced understanding of the diversity of migrant and refugee women’s experiences and its findings can be used to inform policy and other measures that may best support migrant and refugee women into the future.
Overall, the findings affirm the need to ask specific questions about migrant and refugee women’s experiences, and to consider the diversity of identity and circumstances of this broad group. Across residency/visa status, religious affiliation and age group, we need to carefully explore these women’s experiences and perspectives, and tailor efforts to improve their lives.
Executive summary
This is a landmark national report that draws on survey responses from almost 1,400 migrant and refugee women across Australia. While the survey is not a representative sample, and cannot provide a comprehensive account of the experiences of all women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, it offers a unique snapshot of a sample of women from across Australia who were willing to share their experiences with us. It offers key insights to build a more nuanced understanding of the diversity of migrant and refugee women’s experiences and its findings can be used to inform policy and other measures that may best support migrant and refugee women into the future.
The report is organised into three parts: Domestic and Family Violence (DFV); Victimisation, Help-Seeking and Trust in Institutions; and Employment. Across DFV and Employment we consider 2019 (that is, prior to COVID-19) and the period from March 2020 until September– November 2020, when the survey was available.
The original focus of this survey was women’s safety, with a spotlight on domestic and family violence. However, given the disruption, impact and hardships caused by the global pandemic, the survey shifted to accommodate the rupture of 2020 and questions were included to examine life and safety before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the survey was not dedicated to identifying the depth and breadth of the repercussions of COVID-19, it captured key data on how stay-at-home directives and other policy measures related to the pandemic impacted women’s experiences of domestic and family violence, employment, and financial security.
Key insights
The study was split into key themes, and found:
Domestic and family violence
91 per cent of respondents reported experiencing controlling behaviours
42 per cent experienced physical or sexual violence
Perpetrators were most often identified as the current or former partner, however many reported multiple perpetrators, predominantly extended family and family-in-law
Temporary visa holders reported higher levels of domestic and family violence and reported much higher levels of migration-related abuse and threats
Trust in institutions
While many respondents identified as being affiliated with a religion and that their faith was important, there was a consistently low level of trust in religious institutions across all age levels, most particularly for those aged 18-29
Employment and financial security
10 per cent lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.
Victimisation
Of those who reported an experience of general victimisation (specifically burglary, theft, threatening behaviour or property damage) nearly 40 per cent believed this victimisation was motivated by ethno-racial prejudice
Police
Positive perceptions of police were more prominent among older participants and those from North Africa and the Middle East and less likely among those with tertiary education qualifications
Women who had experienced domestic and family violence and general victimisation viewed the police as less procedurally just and fair than the rest of the sample
In relation to domestic and family violence, researchers said the findings revealed the need for the inclusion of migration status and other forms of harm, such as financial abuse linked to a marriage-related payment, to inform more expansive understandings of how power can be leveraged by perpetrators, including via migration law and policy.
Research Outputs
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The Conversation: One third of migrant and refugee women experience domestic violence, major survey reveals (30/06/2021)
Key contact:
Marie Segrave
marie.segrave@unimelb.edu.au