Adult education and community capacity building: The case of African-Australian women in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory (NT) is the smallest settlement location for
migrants and refugees in Australia. Over the past decade there has been a
significant increase in the number of Sub-Saharan African women
migrants and refugees in the NT. This influx has generated a range of
government and community responses to build these African migrants
and refugees’ capacity to integrate into their host community. This article
is inspired by the author’s personal experience as an African immigrant
woman and an adult educator, and it is informed by her doctoral study in
progress with 23 African-Australian migrant and refugee women in the
NT as participants. The study uses qualitative methods informed by
feminist perspectives to explore how these women utilize adult education
techniques to build their capacity to integrate into wider Australian
society. It examines the underlying reasons why the participants engage
in adult education, and their experiences of struggles and achievements. It
reports on preliminary findings which indicate that education is a potent
force which has enabled the participants to find meaning in the challenges
of their existence. The stories of the participants attest to empowerment
and hope, which can inform opportunities and educational pathways
offered to other migrant and refugee groups in Australia and elsewhere.