Promoting Decent Work for Racialized Women
The key objective of this proposed project is to mobilize inter-sectoral partnerships and actions to build pathways to decent work for racialized women.
Our Project Goals and Activities
Since 2007, Access Alliance has been playing a key role in building evidence on the rise of precarious work and the socio-economic and health impacts from this. Our research, and evidence from other studies, indicates that precarious work is highly racialized and gendered. Women, racialized groups and immigrants are disproportionately over-represented in low-wage and precarious work; in particular, racialized women (immigrants and Canadian-born) face the worst levels of precarious employment (National Council of Welfare, 2012; Statistics Canada,2016; Chiu and Maheux, 2011; Chiu, 2011; Block ; Cranford et al, 2003; PEPSO, 2014; Law Commission of Canada, 2012).
The key objective of this knowledge mobilization project is to mobilize inter-sectoral partnerships and actions to advance gender equity by promoting pathways to decent work for racialized women. Another key goal of this project is to help re-centre the voices of precariously employed racialized women within policy/institutional settings. Specifically, we plan to convene three interlinked collaborative action tables to assess the issue/barriers and mobilize concrete recommendations/solutions at different levels geared at promoting decent work for racialized women. The three tables include:
- Policy Table led by racialized women leaders and champions focused on informing policies at local, provincial and national levels.
- Service/Practice Innovation Table comprised of sector leaders tasked with mobilizing solutions/actions in terms of programs and services (e.g. more training and support on worker’s rights for racialized women; improving access to colleges/training and workforce development programs for racialized women).
- Community Action Table comprised of precariously employed and low-income racialized women who bring lived-experience expertise at the different tables, and help mobilize actions at community/civil society level (e.g. organizing delegation visit to local MPPs, organizing rallies).
The project partners will jointly organize Gender Equity Matters (GEM) symposium and “community actions” along with producing fact sheets, policy briefing notes, and best practice recommendations focused on promoting decent work for racialized women. The project runs from July 2017 to April 2020.
Our Project Team
This project is led by Access Alliance (Axelle Janczur). Deena Ladd (Workers Action Centre) and Angela Koh (Working Women Community centre) serve as women leaders for this project. Helen Ketema is the Young Insight Scholar for the project. Julia Eden is the project coordinator.
Our Policy Table (and Steering Committee) consists of Deena Ladd, Angela Koh, Rob Howarth (Toronto Neighborhood Centre), Dr Kiran Mirchandani (University of Toronto), Winnie Ng (Ryerson University) Debbie Douglas (OCASI). Our Service/Practice Innovation Table includes Shankari Balendra (Access Alliance), Amy Capisullai (OCASI), Bridget Sinclair (St. Stephen’s Community House) Nivedita Lane (Humber College) , Paula Calderon (Access Employment) Jacqueline St. Kitts (LAMP Community Health Centre) and Malini Singh (TNO). Our Community Action Table members include Nadira Begum (Lead) Bishakha Chowdhury, Israt Chowdhury, Shahin Kausher, Farah Montadher, and Opal Sparks.
Our Funder
This project was funded by Status of Women Canada.