The Occupational Health Centre (OHC) recently concluded a two-year national project aimed at researching, developing policy positions, and advocating for the rights of women and gender-diverse migrants in Canada. This initiative sought to address the prevalent issues of exploitation, abuse, and suffering commonly experienced by migrant populations, particularly those with precarious immigration status who face intersecting forms of oppression based on immigration status, race, gender and gender identity.
Collaborative Advocacy
OHC partnered with three regional organizations in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec to form the Alliance for Gender Justice in Migration. This alliance brought together diverse voices and expertise – women with lived experience, community organizations, and academics – to advocate for gender justice and migrant rights on a national scale. In Manitoba, our regional committee had five members with lived experience as well as three representatives of community organizations and three academics.
One of the project’s key principles was to center the voices and perspectives of women with lived experiences in decision-making processes. The project engaged directly with individuals who have faced challenges due to temporary immigration status, including migrant workers, international students, refugee claimants, and undocumented residents. This inclusive approach ensured that policy recommendations were relevant to the real-life experiences of those most affected, following the tradition of the “Nothing about us without us” principle which promotes the idea that policies should not be decided without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) affected by that policy.
Policy Priorities
The Alliance identified and researched key issues affecting women and gender-diverse migrants, resulting in position statements and recommendations on topics such as regularization, employment rights, closed work permits, gender-based violence, sex work, gender diverse migrants and reproductive justice.These policy priorities were informed by an intersectional feminist lens, recognizing the interconnected nature of oppression faced by communities experiencing marginalization.
Provincial Focus
In Manitoba, the project focused on provincial-level policies related to employment rights and reproductive justice. Women with lived experiences actively contributed their insights and recommendations, ensuring that policy development was grounded in the realities of those directly impacted. They also attended meetings with policy makers on these advocacy issues.
For employment rights, the Alliance advocated for paid sick days for all workers and proactive enforcement of labor standards. Paid sick days will benefit all workers, but it will especially benefit women with precarious immigration status in low-waged jobs who are among those least likely to have access to paid sick days. In addition, the Alliance urges the provincial government to move away from complaint-based monitoring which presents too many barriers and risks for workers with precarious immigration status. Instead, the province should engage in proactive monitoring of employment standards, workplace health and safety, and other regulations. We recommend reinstating adequate funding for the Special Investigations Unit of Employment Standards to prioritize monitoring industries employing workers with precarious immigration status.
In the area of reproductive justice, we recommend expanding access to public healthcare coverage to international students, migrant workers with work permits of less than 12 months, and undocumented residents to reduce the number of medically uninsured pregnant people in the province. The Alliance also urges the province and all health care institutions to enact Access Without Fear policies to ensure women and gender diverse migrants can safely access reproductive care without the threat of detention or deportation.
Empowering Women’s Leadership
Beyond policy advocacy, the project prioritized the empowerment of women with lived experiences. Leadership training, workshops on writing an op-ed, and participation in digital storytelling projects, provided opportunities for skill development and amplified the voices of participating women.
A Model for Promoting Structural Change
The Alliance’s work offered a promising model for policy and advocacy that prioritizes the voices and decision-making of those most affected by intersecting forms of oppression. Through collaborative advocacy, policy development, and leadership empowerment, the project aimed to create lasting change for migrant women and gender-diverse individuals across Canada. By amplifying their voices and experiences, the Alliance is working towards a future where all people can live free from exploitation and discrimination.
Learn More
Find all of the Alliance’s policy position statements, advocacy tools, and submissions at the website: https://www.genderjusticeinmigration.ca/
About the Alliance
The Alliance for Gender Justice in Migration was led by the following regional organizations dedicated to promoting gender justice and migrant rights:
- British Columbia: Migrant Workers Centre
- Manitoba: Occupational Health Centre
- Ontario: Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
- Quebec: Immigrant Workers Centre