Beginning again : West African women's experiences of being migrants in Australia

Settling in a new country exposes immigrants to various health risk factors, and the existing literature alludes to immigrant women being more vulnerable than men. This article highlights some of the difficulties faced by West African women while settling into life in Australia. A qualitative design was used to explore the experiences of West African immigrant women living in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected using audiotaped face-to-face interviews, and narratives were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Twenty-one West African women participated in this study. The findings revealed the many challenges that participants faced after immigrating to their new country, and these are presented under the following themes: beginning again and experiencing loneliness and isolation. Participants encountered difficulties in developing social networks and obtaining employment, and as a result, they felt lonely and isolated. Therefore, nurses and health care professionals need to incorporate screening for precursors of emotional and social well-being issues when caring for this population.