MCWH advocates for greater awareness and understanding about migrant and refugee women’s mental health issues and in particular, the gendered, intersectional factors that impacts their ability to experience good mental health.

We commissioned researchers from the University of Melbourne, School and Population and Global Health to conduct a literature review on migrant and refugee women’s mental health. The literature review on the nature and prevalence of migrant and refugee women’s mental health in Australia (2020) indicates that migrant and refugee women experience poorer health outcomes compared with Australian-born women. This health disparity is likely to extend to mental health.

Research shows that race and gender inequality, violence against women, settlement stress and trauma, and perinatal mental health are particularly important issues for migrant and refugee women. The evidence confirms that migrant and refugee women face multiple barriers to accessing mental health support which we have outlined in our Policy Brief

Given these barriers, we advocate for positive social, cultural and political transformations to the Australian mental health system, so that migrant and refugee women are able to access high quality, gender equitable and culturally and linguistically responsive care.