Migrant and Refugee Women’s Attitudes, Experiences and Responses to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

This project builds on the knowledge that migrant and refugee women are more likely to be in precarious employment (i.e. non-permanent, casualized or contract labour) and that factors such as limited English proficiency, non-permanent visa status, race-based bias and discrimination, and disparate cultural expectations can contribute to the likelihood of experiencing work-based sexual harassment (Department of Social Services 2015; Australian Human Rights Commission 2020).
This research aims to build a detailed national picture of the experiences of a diverse group of migrant and refugee women to inform more targeted engagement with women and workplaces regarding unacceptable workplace behaviour, and lay the ground for more informed and responsive systems that are attuned to the social and systemic factors that influence how women negotiate and respond to experiences of sexual harassment as bystanders and/or targets.