Abstract
Women of Refugee Background (WoRB) have been repeatedly identified as an extremely vulnerable population. Within an Australian context, WoRB are increasingly resettled to non-metropolitan locations, otherwise known as regional locations. Despite this, to date, no research has focused on the lived experience and challenges associated with the resettlement of WoRB to regional contexts. This study aimed to address this gap in the literature by investigating the resettlement experience of WoRB resettled in Tasmania—a state in Australia classified as a rural and regional location. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a group of 21 individuals (nine WoRB and 12 service providers). Thematic analysis identified four overarching themes—Communication Barriers and Lack of Fluency in English, Challenges Accessing Everyday Basic Needs, Loss of Connection to Culture of Origin and Inability to Access Mainstream Mental Health Services for Help. Participants also highlighted a number of unique gender-related vulnerabilities experienced during resettlement, which were exacerbated in regional locations due to health services being overstretched and under-resourced. Results of the current study are discussed in regard to policy and practical implications, taking into consideration the unique vulnerabilities experienced by WoRB, which, to date, are often overlooked.
Highlights
In 2019, the United Nations estimated that 79.5 million individuals had been forcibly displaced globally, with approximately 1.4 million individuals of refugee background in urgent need of resettlement [1,2]
The Women of Refugee Background (WoRB) respondents emphasised the challenges and stressors associated with language, and in particular the capacity to communicate their needs in the English language, which was highlighted as a vital factor in helping them settle
Resettled in a regional location of Australia [27], which addresses the dearth of research focusing on refugee populations resettled in rural and regional locations of Australia identified in earlier work [35]
Summary
In 2019, the United Nations estimated that 79.5 million individuals had been forcibly displaced globally, with approximately 1.4 million individuals of refugee background in urgent need of resettlement [1,2]. Resettlement holds the potential for safety, researchers have demonstrated that the process of resettlement comes with a multitude of challenges, as individuals of refugee background are exposed to cultural contexts and social and economic environments vastly different to their country of origin [4]. These challenges have the potential to increase negative health and well-being outcomes, but have been identified as having significant long-term adverse effects on the mental health of refugee populations [5,6].
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