Employment for women with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds in Australia: An overview of workforce participation and available support programmes

Employment is a key aspect of resettlement, and research has shown that it is highly valued by people with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. However, less is known about the employment experiences and programmes available specifically to women from these backgrounds. This commentary paper draws upon three data sources – the Building a New Life in Australia longitudinal survey, a desktop review of employment programmes and interviews with service providers – to explore these issues for women with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds in Australia. Specifically, we discuss the relatively poor record of employment for refugee women compared to men, and highlight the limitations of current employment programmes, in particular, the lack of available programmes specifically targeted to women. We conclude that there is an urgent need to consider specific ways to support women with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to enter the workforce in Australia.