Racial discrimination is when a person is treated unfairly or denied opportunities because of their race, the country where they were born, their ethnic origin or their skin colour.
Women from every background experience men’s use of violence, but women from culturally and racially marginalised groups – including women from migrant and refugee backgrounds – face unique barriers to safety.
Systemic racism and the ongoing impacts of colonisation are also key drivers of violence against First Nations women and children.
The experiences of culturally and racially marginalised women
Women from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds face particular risks for gendered violence and challenges escaping violent relationships, including:
- not being able to access support services in their language
- being fetishised or stereotyped by partners
- not having family or trusted social networks in Australia
- barriers to employment and vulnerability to exploitation
- being targeted by racist harassment in public
- their migration status limiting access to housing, financial and other support.
Critically, women on temporary visas to Australia can have their visa status used to control and abuse them by partners or other family members.
The importance of challenging racism
Ensuring safety for women from all backgrounds means changing those systems that perpetrate racism – like giving migrant women access to support services regardless of their visa status, or supporting First Nations families to connect to their culture.
It also means challenging racist attitudes and behaviours that underpin or excuse violence – like dismissing a woman’s experience because of her background, or the idea that violence is inevitable in certain cultures.
Whether it’s a neighbour, colleague, support service or a partner – racism makes women unsafe.
Standing up against racism challenges the conditions that make violence against women possible
Along with reforming the systems that perpetuate racism, there are things we can do as individuals to help create safer communities for all women, like:
- speaking up when you witness racism and showing support to those impacts
- making connections with women and families who are new to Australia through work, school or community sport
- learning about Australia’s history of colonisation and its ongoing impacts
- listening to and affirming women’s experiences of racism and violence
- following and sharing from the social media platforms of First Nations women and women from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds.
Learn more
- Djirra is a specialist Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation dedicated to preventing violence and supporting Aboriginal women in Victoria.
- Harmony Alliance is the national alliance providing an inclusive and informed voice on issues affecting migrant and refugee women in Australia.
- Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health is a national, community-based organisation led by and for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
- NATSIWA works to advocate and empower the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women in Australia.
- Women of Colour Australia champions women of colour through education programs, community support initiatives and advocacy.
Get support
If you or someone you know needs support, these services can help:
- InTouch provides in-language and in-culture family violence support to migrant and refugee women in Victora.
- Yarning SafeNStrong is a free and confidential counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who need to have a yarn with someone about their wellbeing.
- 1800 RESPECT is a national counselling and support service for anyone impacted by sexual, domestic or family violence, and can provide these services through an interpreter.
- The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission provides free and confidential information regarding discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation, racial or religious vilification.