The Challenges Facing Single Female Parents of African Background in Regional Australia

In this paper we investigate the problems experienced by single African women of refugee background being resettled in Wagga Wagga (Wagga), New South Wales, Australia. Wagga is one of the regional centres that the Australian government has earmarked for resettlement of people arriving under the refugee resettlement, better known as “humanitarian”, programs. In this exploratory qualitative research we have focused on the challenges women encountered in accessing services and the stigma of single parenthood within their cultures. Individual interviews were conducted with 10 women of varying ages and African nationalities. The research found that the key concerns were a lack of knowledge about available services, few specific and culturally relevant African services, feelings of isolation, and African community attitudes towards single women.