IRCC announces additional findings for racialized newcomer women pilot program

Ten projects that can assist newcomer women in finding jobs will each receive close to $6 million in funding. The Racialized Women Newcomers Pilot Program will receive an additional $5.8 million in funding from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to support 10 projects. The statement was made on December 9 in Halifax as a part of a 16-day awareness campaign on putting an end to violence against women on the basis of gender.

With the goal of assisting newcomer women in overcoming obstacles to work, the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot Program, formerly known as the Visible Minority Newcomer Women at Work Program, began in 2018. The program's initial funding commitment was $31.9 million spread over three years to help racialized newcomer women's employment and professional growth. 

The budget for 2021 allocated $15 million over the ensuing two years. Sean Fraser, the minister of immigration, stated that racialized newcomer women "have severe hurdles in entering the employment." "This is about giving women a sense of respect and belonging, not just about obtaining them jobs. By ensuring that gender equality is promoted across all sectors, the Canadian government is working to prevent and stop gender-based violence, and this support is part of that effort. Gender equality in Canada applies to all women.

Women new to the country are more likely to have low-paying jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected newcomers, particularly women, as they were typically employed in roles within retail or food stores, brought the need for these activities more clearly to light. Overall, the food, hospitality, and lodging industries in Canada have a greater rate of employment, which has a negative impact during lockdowns.

Furthermore, the Labour Force Survey statistics from January to June 2021 reveal that there is still a sizable unemployment disparity between women who have recently immigrated to Canada and women who were born in Canada (15.2% vs. 8.0%). Women who are recent immigrants are also more likely to work part-time jobs. According to Statistics Canada research, compared to 70% of Canadian-born women, 66% of married or common-law immigrant women are likely to work full-time.

Initiatives to support women

More than 2,500 customers took part in Pilot-related events in 2019-2020. The majority of participants were recent immigrants and of core working age (between the ages of 25 and 54). (Those who have lived in Canada for less than five years). The present initiatives, carried out by independent organizations across Canada, are designed to teach newcomer women language skills, connect them with companies, and impart other soft skills that can help them land jobs.

Another project assists immigrant women with IT and technical talents in obtaining the recognized credentials required to successfully find a job in Canada. The most recent announcement also includes financing for initiatives intended to stop gender-based abuse against immigrant women. In particular, the project for the Gender-Based Violence Settlement Sector Strategy was developed.

The goal of this initiative, a collaboration between the settlement and anti-violence sectors, is to increase action, awareness, and cross-sector cooperation in the fight against gender-based violence. Funding will be used to increase the capacity of frontline settlement sector employees who deal with situations of gender-based violence.

According to IRCC, the resources, training, and information they acquire will enable them to better meet the needs of victims. The project will be followed over the following four years in order to create a sector-wide knowledge base on gender-based violence while also developing programs that inform newcomers about the services and resources available.

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