Reaching Out: Enhancing the Accessibility of the Queensland Working Women's Service (QWWS) for Migrant Women

Abstract

This project was initiated with the aim of enhancing the existing services that the Queensland Working Women's Service (QWWS) provides for Migrant working women in Queensland. QWWS is a community-based organisation which provides information and support for all Queensland working women. Since its formation in 1994, QWWS has provided job placements and training for Migrant women, and Migrant women and Migrant organisations have been, and currently are represented on the QWWS management committee. While QWWS strives to provide work placement and work experience for Migrant women, the organisation's statistics showed that Migrant women were under-represented in its client population. The project was funded by Griffith University under the Community Partnership Scheme and the research was conducted in 2009 by Dr. Kaye Broadbent, Associate Professor Janis Bailey, Professor Glenda Strachan and Ms. Susan Ressia from the Department of Employment Relations, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Queensland. Reaching Out: Enhancing the Accessibility of the Queensland Working Women's Service (QWWS) for Migrant Women provides an overview of Migrant working women in Queensland, discusses the issues raised by Migrant women themselves who participated in the focus groups conducted for this research, and provides recommendations for QWWS to consider.