Cecilia Anthony and Pino Migliorino from DiverseWerks present important paper on the experiences of women international students at the 2016 National Multicultural Women's Conference.
In a period of rapid expansion over the past twenty years in the International Student market in Australia, little attention has been given to the experience of women International Students. While women have traditionally made up between forty-seven and sixty per cent of the total of the International Students market in Australia since the mid-1980’s, there is a lack of sustained and comprehensive discussion on gender and the international education experience in Australia, particularly in employment. Their experiences range from vulnerabilities as employees in low paid and under-regulated industries to discrimination in their professional fields.
Women entering Australia on education visas are faced with many of the same issues as their male counterparts. But women from non-European countries are also faced with the impact of Australia’s historical gendered racism. We explore female international student experiences of work, and ways in which the categories of gender, ethnicity and temporary migration status interact in the Australian labour market.