Gender and Climate Change: Migrant and Refugee women's experiences

Climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of disasters (e.g., bushfires, floods, heatwaves), disproportionately affecting migrant and refugee women. These women face intersecting challenges—precarious legal status, language barriers, social isolation, and economic insecurity—that amplify mental health risks during and after disasters. Gender-based violence (GBV), including intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual exploitation, and harassment, is a known stressor in disaster contexts, with evidence linking it to increased anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality (Rezwana & Pain, 2021; Thurston et al., 2021). However, the specific mental health impacts of GBV on migrant and refugee women in climate-related disasters remain underexplored, particularly in Australia, a climate-vulnerable nation with a diverse migrant population. This project addresses some of the evidence gaps by investigating the mental health impacts of GBV among migrant and refugee women across the climate disaster cycle (preparedness, response, recovery) in Australia. It prioritizes community-driven, culturally responsive approaches to uncover lived experiences, build resilience, and inform mental health policies.