ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on women from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB). It describes that women who are from an ethnic or indigenous background face further disadvantage when it comes to leadership. In addressing the issues raised for women of NESB origins, the reader must understand that there is great diversity in this community. Because of the pursuit of large-scale immigration programs in Australia, the country boasts one of the most ethnically diverse cultures in the world. Like all women interviewed for this book, NESB women report that one of the greatest constraints on women achieving leadership roles is the gender relations not only within the wider society of agriculture but also within their own ethnic communities and families. The isolation of NESB women in Australian farming communities is one of the key issues for women, particularly those with little or no English. While NESB women share this public sector alienation with NESB men, they face further discrimination within their own cultures.
