Discrimination at work? The case of Pakistani migrant women in Australian workplaces

Migrant women’s experiences of workplace discrimination have received little attention in contemporary literature. This paper aims to address this research gap by focusing on Pakistani Muslim migrant women’s experiences of discrimination by drawing on data involving interviews with 38 women. These women were qualified, proficient in English language and a part of one of Australia’s religious minority groups. By using an intersectionality framework, this study indicates that the intersection of Pakistani women’s gender, religion, race and ethnicity shapes their vulnerability to and experiences of discrimination. We argue that structural inequalities in Australian organisations lead to multiple disadvantages for these women in workplace settings. It is concluded that the Australian anti-discriminatory laws have not been particularly effective in preventing discrimination and policies to promote diversity and inclusion have not been followed in practice.