Life as a female expat in Australia

Member since 30 May 2013

PriscillaViP18 July 2018 09:44:46

42358

Hello,

While moving to a new country and discovering new cultures is definitely an exciting adventure, everybody experiences it differently. It can be particularly different for women, in both positive and negative ways.

What are some positive aspects about being a female expat in Australia?

What are some challenges in Australia that women face, and what are the ways to overcome them?

How is a woman's role viewed in Australian's culture and society?

Is it relatively safe for a woman to live in Australia?

How would a woman go about expanding her social network in a safe way?

Are there any resources available for women to help with their expatriation (e.g. books, articles, support networks, etc.)?

Thank you for sharing your experience,

Priscilla

Lenkahadra Member

Member since 25 January 2018

LenkahadraMember28 July 2018 00:41:37

Hi Priscilla,

thanks for your message. I found answering quite difficult as I think it depends on your own subjectivity (where you are from, your cultural views, you experience etc.). I come from the Czech Republic, where women enjoy sexual and other gender equalities. We are not looked down if pursuing our own agendas (whatever it might be) and if so, it does not come from 'how a proper woman should behave'. Therefore, I have never had this constraint in my mind, so I guess I don't see them here either.

I am also white female and therefore I have not experienced any racial vilification for that matter. However, I can't speak for other women as I have not lived their life experience, but generally, because there are so many various ethnic backgrounds here, Australian people (of all ethnicities) are welcoming and accommodating to the difference. I worked with Muslim women who wear the scarf (hijab) and most of them also didn't have any terrible experience, although I can imagine that there must be incidents etc.

I also personally feel secure walking on my own at night, I have hitchhiked in Australia, travelled alone, and I always felt safe (but I do generally, so it's very subjective). I guess it would be easier for me to answer your question if I knew something about you, os I can juxtapose based on my imagery of your subjectivity.

Anyways, it's one of the awesome countries for female expats.