Canada’s Gender Equality Week spreads equality for newcomers, being the fifth annual week. This campaign is a yearly event that occurs every September. The central theme of this campaign is United to Gender Equality: Stronger Together. The primary objective of this event is to encourage awareness about unique identities and to spread togetherness in Canada. The equality factor must apply to all, irrespective of their racial background, education level, sexual orientation, gender, etc.
Canada’s Gender Equality Week spreads equality for newcomers
All the Canadian government departments must apply Gender-Based Analysis Plus to the new and already prevalent programs and policies. This should happen on both internal and external levels.
Furthermore, the programs and policies must be tested on the basis of how the diverse groups will identify with them. This means the government must consider how all types of people will experience the policies and programs to understand their inequalities.
According to the Canadian government, they can attain gender equality only when all groups of people, including men, women, and trans and gender people, can establish themselves to their highest capabilities. These diverse groups must reflect equality in all aspects of life.
Also the same applies to new immigrants. IRCC invests significant resources and funds in programs encouraging women and gender-diverse groups. The same goes for the 2SLGBTQ+ community among the new immigrants.
Women and gender-diverse groups can access various settlement programs
Women newcomers in Canada are witnessing help through IRCC’s partnership with over 400 settlement firms. The chief objective of such organizations is to make women newcomers aware of the available options. This is especially true for situations when they might face abusive experiences. Such settlement organizations help in their empowerment so they can gain financial and social independence.
For instance, in January 2023, IRCC declared it would distribute $5.8 million to support the ten projects under the Racialized Women Newcomers Pilot Program.
This Pilot Program will assist these racialized women new immigrants to acquire the essential skills for a job in Canada. They will also be able to manage their routine life through these new skills.
Additionally, Canada looks forward to welcoming more women workers into the labor force. As a result, the government seeks to make Childcare budget-friendly. It should be more accessible. The overall goal is $10 in one day for Childcare throughout Canada by the end of 2026.
The Early Learning and Childcare Infrastructure Fund will promote Childcare spaces for underprivileged communities. These include the following:
- Rural and remote areas;
- Urban neighborhoods with high costs and low incomes;
- Those communities that find it challenging to access Childcare. For example, the racialized newcomer women.
Furthermore, Canada also collaborates with other settlement firms, such as the Rainbow Railroad. This initiative assists LGBTQ+ communities and refugee newcomers to settle and flourish in Canada.
Addressing gender inequality and violence – showing support to newcomers
Removing gender-based violence is one of the most significant components of bringing equality to Canada. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, newcomer women might be subject to a lot of things. These could be domestic violence due to financial dependence, language barriers, and the absence of knowledge about community resources available to them.
This could be true when abusive partners sponsor women as new immigrants. Most women immigrants are unaware of their rights in Canada. They might live with abusive spouses or partners because of the fear of deportation if they happen to leave their partners.
According to previous data, immigrants often had to reside with their spouses or partners to maintain their PR status or Canadian citizenship. However, presently, this scenario has changed. Your permanent residency status or Canadian citizenship doesn’t depend upon residing with your spouse or partner.
Irrespective of one’s gender, they can leave their abusive spouse or partner experiencing violence due to gender inequality. They might as well access a Temporary Resident Permit.
TRP’s eligibility criteria
The following eligibility criteria apply to those seeking a Temporary Resident Permit:
- Applicants of the SCLPC Class (family class or spouse or common-law partners in Canada). This category of people is precisely those who have separated from their partner due to abusive situations. Also, they might not have left their partners because they are fearful of losing their immigration status.
- The second category applies to those who can’t proceed with Canadian Permanent Residence. The reason might be their sponsor partner’s withdrawal of Family Class or SCLPC Class application for sponsorship.
- The third category of people who have been manipulated into believing that their partners have submitted their SCLPC Class PR application or Family Class Sponsorship application. However, they might not have submitted any application.
- The last category applies to Temporary Residents who would like to proceed with PR application. They might apply through a genuine partnership, which might have turned abusive lately. However, they may not have any application under process.
According to IRCC, a TRP might enable you to attain coverage for trauma counseling and different healthcare benefits. You might also be able to proceed with a work permit exempt from any fee.
