New report highlights barriers facing refugee women in Wales

If you only look at the barriers, you can't move draws on the lived experiences of refugee women living in communities across Wales. The research team found that despite arriving with qualifications, professional experience and strong ambitions, many refugee women are prevented from reaching their potential because of a combination of barriers  

Findings

• a "triple disadvantage" shaped by immigration status, gender and ethnicity. 

• financial pressures linked to transport costs, childcare costs and restrictions within the asylum system  

• experiences of racism and discrimination affecting both women and their children

 

 

 

Tackling Barriers to Education and Employment with Refugee Women in Wales

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Stories of resilience and determination

Alongside these challenges, the report highlights the resilience, determination and aspirations of refugee women across Wales.

Many described sacrificing personal ambitions to prioritise their children's wellbeing and education, often while adapting to life in a new country without the support networks of family and friends. Several spoke of feeling isolated, losing professional identities and being unable to use the qualifications and expertise they had built before arriving in the UK.

The report shares stories of women who were teachers, lawyers, scientists, designers and other skilled professionals, but who found themselves unable to work in their chosen fields because qualifications were not recognised, or because essential documentation had been lost during displacement.

Despite these challenges, many women continued to pursue education, learn English, volunteer in their communities and support others facing similar experiences. The team found strong ambitions among participants, including aspirations to become nurses, writers, business owners and public servants.

Dr Camila Montiel-McCann, Principal Investigator and report author, said:

This report demonstrates that refugee women in Wales are not being held back by a lack of ambition, talent or determination. The women who shared their experiences with us arrived with skills, qualifications and dreams for the future, yet too often they face structural barriers that prevent them from accessing education and meaningful employment.

Their stories are powerful examples of resilience, but they also highlight the urgent need for support which is informed by trauma, sensitive to gender and locally grounded. If Wales is serious about inclusion, we must make sure refugee women are recognised not for the barriers they face, but for the significant contribution they can make to our communities, workplaces and society.

Looking ahead

The report makes a series of recommendations for Wales and the UK, including improved childcare support, more innovative English-language provision, mentoring opportunities, better recognition of overseas qualifications, and the creation of a Welsh Refugee Women's Network to reduce isolation and improve access to opportunities.