In late March, the province of Ontario announced a $768,000 investment in the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW).
This investment is being made to help address the inequalities that women face in Canada and brings to the surface why it is vital for organizations around this country to work toward removing barriers for women in this country. This is especially true for newcomer women in Canada, who continue to struggle with fair representation in the Canadian workforce.
Federal
IRCC has several federal programs and services for women coming to Canada, which include Women at Risk (WAR) – as part of the Urgent Protection Program (UPP) – and the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot (RNWP) program.
WAR program
IRCC’s Women at Risk (WAR) program provides aid to “women who need urgent protection or who are vulnerable but do not have to show that they have settlement potential.”
Note: Women in this program, as well as their dependents, must still pass all required Canadian entrance examinations (medical, security etc.) in order to receive aid through the Urgent Protection Program (UPP).
RNWP program
The Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot (RNWP) program “provides newcomer women in Canada with settlement services and support to improve their employment outcomes and career advancement … [contributing] to greater opportunities for racialized newcomer women to participate equally and fully in [Canada’s] economy.”
Each Canadian province and territory offer services through local organizations which aim to help newcomer women with anything from day-to-day life as they settle in Canada, to finding work, preparing for an eventual citizenship test and even finding a mentor (or becoming one).
