For International Women’s Day 2026, UN Women Australia announced the theme “Balance the Scales” and what better way to honour this than celebrate CARAD’s inspiring clients! This year’s theme spotlights that every woman and girl should be safe, heard, and free to lead her own future by dismantling those current unjust systems and barriers women still face.
Women seeking asylum in Australia face unique and often overlooked challenges, with current policies and structural barriers having a disproportionate impact on them. With 145,000 refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia in 2025, women comprised approximately half of this population.[1] People seeking asylum are often not afforded the same respect or rights to work, healthcare, and education – and women on top of this face extra hurdles such as disproportionate caretaking responsibilities, household workload, gender-based violence and women’s health conditions. To learn more specifically about the experience of healthcare for women seeking asylum, see Is reproductive healthcare failing newly arrived refugee women?
CARAD recognises and celebrates all women seeking asylum and their inspiring resilience. Hand in hand, CARAD also recognises the incredible women in our network that support and uplift one another.
“On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to sincerely thank you for the valuable support you have provided us. Your help during our difficult times has been a great source of strength, both financially and emotionally. Especially the assistance that allowed us to meet our baby’s needs will always hold a very special place in our lives. The sincerity, dedication, and care you have shown in your services made us feel that we are not alone. For us, it was not only a form of help, but also a source of hope. We are truly grateful to your entire team for their efforts.
Your support means so much to us and will always be remembered with gratitude.”
CARAD Client
[1] Australia | UNHCR. For more detailed statistics on people seeking asylum in Australia see Asylum statistics in Australia - Refugee Council of Australia.