Newcomer women often have significant challenges in finding employment, including securing child care and contending with gender and race-based discrimination.
In response to these challenges, the Canadian government will select 22 organizations with specialized experience in helping visible minority newcomer women, and allocate up to $7.5 million in total funding for the organizations to develop projects designed to help newcomer women find work. Some of the initiatives will include improving digital literacy, as well as supporting smaller organizations that specialize in helping newcomer women.
An expression of interest process was launched in December of last year to kickstart this new project. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, speaking about the initiative, was quoted as saying “Visible minority newcomer women face more challenges than any other group to enter the workforce. This isn’t just about getting women jobs; it’s also about providing a sense of dignity and belonging. Canada’s gender equality is for all women, not just for some.”