ABSTRACT
This study explores unspoken challenges faced by female doctoral students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with seven CALD women at two Australian universities and guided by Butler’s gender performativity, Crenshaw’s intersectionality, and postcolonial feminism, we examine how these women negotiate their multiple roles. The analysis reveals three intersecting taboos that shape their academic journeys: the taboo of vulnerability, which discourages disclosing personal or academic struggles; silencing as a result of cultural and gendered expectations, which compels them to manage conflicting scholarly and parenting roles privately; and the stigma surrounding mental health, which compels emotional restraint. These taboos intensify stress and reinforce existing structural inequalities in doctoral education. The paper underscores the need to acknowledge how gendered and cultural expectations are embedded in academic institutions and advocates for reform to create a more inclusive and equitable academic environment for CALD women scholars.