Interlocking systems of oppression and privilege impact African Australian health and well-being in greater Melbourne : A qualitative intersectional analysis

Individual-level factors are typically identified as barriers to health and well-being for African Australians, whereas little attention is paid to the multiple intersecting dimensions of inequality. Without accounting for the interrelated nature of African Australians’ social locations and intersecting systems of oppression/privilege, practice and policy responses may have limited impact. This qualitative empirical study utilizes intersectional analysis to understand concerns about African Australian health and well-being in Greater Melbourne gleaned from an Issues Paper produced by 50 African Australians, two group interviews, and 22 slow interviews. Participants included 35 African Australians and nine people of non-African backgrounds working with, and for, African Australians in the community sector. Systems of oppression/privilege that impact health outcomes for certain African Australians are found at the intersections of migration pathway, age, and gender and manifest within three Australian institutions, including via segregation and othering in education, labor market discrimination, and gendered racism in health care provision. As such, intersectional and equity-orientated practice and policy actions are recommended to shift the distribution of power across all social institutions and eradicate health inequities.