The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH) has published our submission to inform the Second Action Plan under Australia’s National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032. As the national voice for migrant and refugee women’s health and wellbeing, MCWH draws on decades of research, community engagement and violence prevention work to highlight the unique barriers migrant and refugee women and gender diverse people face when seeking safety and support.
Our submission calls for a more coordinated, community-led and intersectional approach to preventing violence, recognising the role of factors such as racism, visa dependency, migration-related inequality, social isolation and barriers to accessing services.
MCWH makes five key recommendations, including investing in community-led prevention and early intervention, strengthening national coordination and workforce capacity, addressing the structural drivers of violence, supporting groups facing heightened risk, and providing long-term funding for culturally and linguistically appropriate initiatives that engage migrant and refugee communities.
The submission also highlights existing promising practices, including bilingual health education, leadership programs, and community-led violence prevention initiatives that are already improving access to information, support and safety for migrant and refugee women across Australia.