‘We are not in a safe place’: women reveal being abused while producing the food Australians eat
New research interviewing women involved with the federal government’s Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme shows why it needs urgent reform to stop worker exploitation.
Women producing the food Australians consume are revealing they are being abused while working in the food industry. Grace, a woman who came to Australia to work on a berry farm, initially planned to send her earnings back home but realized she would only earn $100 per week and would live in a shipping container. Five years later, Grace has a temporary visa without work rights, limited financial support or healthcare access and has experienced domestic violence.
Women working under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which allows people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to work in under-resourced industries, face exploitation and abuse. The scheme ties migrant workers to their employer, creating a power imbalance that can undermine their safety and wellbeing.
Research shows women experience gendered harms, including sexual assault, exploitation, and domestic violence. When they try to leave abusive situations, their irregular visa status and lack of work rights put them at risk of homelessness. The PALM scheme also affects women's mental health as they care for young children and other family members.
Urgent reforms are needed to safeguard women and families participating in the scheme, such as allowing workers to change employers freely, providing free health and social services, and developing culturally responsive programs to minimize safety risks for women.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
