Gendered barriers to educational opportunities: resettlement of Sudanese refugees in Australia

Abstract

This paper argues that whilst equitable educational pathways are integrated into educational policy discourses in Australia, there are significant gendered barriers to educational participation among members of the Sudanese refugee groups. The specific conditions of forced migration reinforce disadvantage and further limit opportunities. Cultural factors play a key role in this, as the data from this study demonstrate. Participants in this study are Sudanese refugees who arrived in Australia as part of the humanitarian programme. The paper draws upon interviews and focus group data that were collected for a larger study on the broader issue of resettlement of Sudanese refugees in Australia. This paper argues that women from refugee backgrounds are particularly at risk and face cultural and linguistic barriers in accessing educational opportunities.

Keywords:

• forced migration
• Sudanese refugees
• gendered politics of belonging

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Australian Research Council’s Discovery scheme. The authors would like to acknowledge the Sudanese community members who participated in the project.