What Will I Tell My Daughter?

Immigrant Women Who Relocate

With Their Spouse or Partner: Issues and Challenges

Randean Kopytko

OverviewOverviewOverviewOverviewCanadian Immigration Canadian Immigration

Randean’s Immigration Randean’s Immigration HistoryHistory

Rationale & MethodologyRationale & Methodology

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Case StudiesCase Studies

Specific ChallengesSpecific Challenges

EmploymentEmployment

Childcare/ SchoolingChildcare/ Schooling

Social InteractionSocial Interaction

SuccessesSuccesses

Conclusion & QuestionsConclusion & Questions

Making Every Connection Matter

Provincial Nominee Provincial Nominee ProgramProgram

Provincial Nominee Provincial Nominee ProgramProgram

Increase number Increase number of skilled of skilled newcomersnewcomers

Promote Promote immigrationimmigration

Settle in small Settle in small urban and rural urban and rural areasareas

My JourneyMy JourneyMy JourneyMy JourneyWinnipeg, Scotland, Winnipeg, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Winnipeg .Winnipeg, Scotland, Winnipeg, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Winnipeg .Winnipeg, Scotland, Winnipeg, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Winnipeg .Winnipeg, Scotland, Winnipeg, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Winnipeg .

Return to WinnipegReturn to Winnipeg

Employed with Military Family Employed with Military Family

Resource CentreResource Centre

Adult English as a second languageAdult English as a second language

Neighbourhood Immigrant Neighbourhood Immigrant

Settlement WorkerSettlement Worker

RationaleRationaleRationaleRationale

Experiences of principal applicants Experiences of principal applicants

comprehensively documented (Carter, Pandey, comprehensively documented (Carter, Pandey,

Townsend, 2010) experiences of women who Townsend, 2010) experiences of women who

immigrated to Manitoba with or for their immigrated to Manitoba with or for their

partner or spouse has garnered less partner or spouse has garnered less

consideration & researchconsideration & research

Aim to explore the struggles and successes that Aim to explore the struggles and successes that

women face when they relocate to Manitoba women face when they relocate to Manitoba

with the intention of informing education and with the intention of informing education and

settlement services for womensettlement services for women

MethodologMethodologyy

MethodologMethodologyy

QualitativeQualitative

Case StudiesCase Studies

Semi-Structured Semi-Structured

InterviewsInterviews

QualitativeQualitative

Case StudiesCase Studies

Semi-Structured Semi-Structured

InterviewsInterviews

1)What are the main considerations affecting women’s decisions to move?

2)What were their successes and challenges during and after relocating?

3)What types of services might relocating women benefit from?

QuestionsQuestionsQuestionsQuestions

5 women from Kazahkstan, Mali, 5 women from Kazahkstan, Mali,

Paraguay, India and the Phillipines; arrived Paraguay, India and the Phillipines; arrived

in Canada between 2008-2012in Canada between 2008-2012

Profession range from homemaker, Profession range from homemaker,

Assistant Notary, Physician, Math Teacher, Assistant Notary, Physician, Math Teacher,

Accounting SupervisorAccounting Supervisor

4 out of 5 immigrated with their spouse4 out of 5 immigrated with their spouse

Case Study Case Study ParticipantsParticipantsCase Study Case Study ParticipantsParticipants

Participants Participants ContinuedContinued

Participants Participants ContinuedContinued

3 women made the decision to immigrate, 3 women made the decision to immigrate,

another couple decide together, and one another couple decide together, and one

was the husband’s sole choicewas the husband’s sole choice

4 out of 5 of the women have children that 4 out of 5 of the women have children that

immigrated with themimmigrated with them

Factors That led to Their Factors That led to Their ImmigrationImmigration

Factors That led to Their Factors That led to Their ImmigrationImmigration

Some of the Some of the women already women already had extended had extended family in Canadafamily in Canada

New opportunities New opportunities for themselves for themselves and their childrenand their children

Challenges: Challenges: EmploymentEmploymentChallenges: Challenges: EmploymentEmployment

Credential recognitionCredential recognition

Canadian work Canadian work experienceexperience

Finding work in a new Finding work in a new countrycountry

Manual labour/ Manual labour/ survival jobssurvival jobs

Amandeep: Amandeep: Employment ChallengesEmployment Challenges

Amandeep: Amandeep: Employment ChallengesEmployment Challenges

“In India, this is the problem as I already told you like, corruption we don’t get good jobs. So it doesn’t matter, that is why people have good qualifications like they are having master degree and everything but they are not getting good jobs. One problem is the population and the other thing is corruption. It doesn’t matter how what percentage you have and what degree you have but only that person will get a good job who has good...connections”

Angela- Angela- Employment Employment ChallengesChallenges

Angela- Angela- Employment Employment ChallengesChallenges

• “..finding work, a job that is related to my profession that is the biggest, the big obstacle when I came here because no one...no company would hire me for my profession even though I have experience because I have no Canadian experience they want...they want Canadian experience, so that...I have overcome.”

Challenges: Challenges: ChildcareChildcare

Challenges: Challenges: ChildcareChildcare

Surprised it is not Surprised it is not free / Expensivefree / Expensive

Limited access / no Limited access / no spaces availablespaces available

Waiting listWaiting list

Subsidized Subsidized childcarechildcare

““proximity of children....reconstitute proximity of children....reconstitute their career”their career”(Salaff & Greve, 2006, p.160)(Salaff & Greve, 2006, p.160)

Amandeep- Amandeep- Childcare ChallengesChildcare ChallengesAmandeep- Amandeep-

Childcare ChallengesChildcare Challenges

• “...I couldn’t find good daycare for my son, so that we decided to, I decided to stay home. So now I am here, I am studying while staying at home. I took online program...power engineering.”

Challenges: Challenges: Raising Child in New CountryRaising Child in New Country

Challenges: Challenges: Raising Child in New CountryRaising Child in New Country

DisciplineDiscipline

Parenting Parenting strategiesstrategies

Maintaining own Maintaining own cultureculture

School systemSchool system

Miriam: Miriam: Challenges Raising ChildChallenges Raising Child

in New Country in New Country

Miriam: Miriam: Challenges Raising ChildChallenges Raising Child

in New Country in New Country• “Impacts...how to deal with

kids...they didn’t get everything in Mali, the culture, the Malian culture...but here I am trying here...it is so different how we deal with kids here and there so that is one thing....

• Like...even talking with kids...looking like that...we don’t do that...but here you...kids are not suppose to do that...like those things and so that has impacts so we have to work through those things”

Challenges: Challenges: Social Social InteractionInteraction

Challenges: Challenges: Social Social InteractionInteraction

Reduction or Reduction or change in access change in access to familial to familial connections/ connections/ friendshipsfriendships

LanguageLanguage

LeisureLeisure

Angela: Angela: Challenges of Social Challenges of Social

InteractionInteraction

Angela: Angela: Challenges of Social Challenges of Social

InteractionInteraction• ....I am alone here, I have no, you know, relatives. I am just living with my partner she has her own relatives...I only have friends, so it is important that I should still have connections with my mother because first of all why I am here because I want to give them...I already give them but I want to give them more...

• Yeah, Skype is good...because every time it is just like talking with her personally and it has helped me to conquer my loneliness here because you see, I am alone here. When my partner is not around I am alone here just watching television and sometimes there are times that I cry because I am lonely...So, but once I talk with them it is a relief.

Vera:Vera:Challenges of Social Challenges of Social

Interaction Interaction

Vera:Vera:Challenges of Social Challenges of Social

Interaction Interaction • “Maybe not isolated, they feel uncomfortable because they left a lot of friends in their home country you know and they try to get use to living here...they face a lot of challenges. First of all, one of the challenges is language. Not only women, I know that family felt isolated because they can’t, how to say...conversations. They don’t have friends maybe and it is very difficult to communicate with people.”

SuccessesSuccessesSuccessesSuccessesVera: employment within first weekVera: employment within first week

Rosa: Familial support & friendsRosa: Familial support & friends

Miriam: accessing resources, subsidized Miriam: accessing resources, subsidized housing, daycare, free language training, housing, daycare, free language training, employment in francophone milieuemployment in francophone milieu

Anglea: employment grant, studying in Anglea: employment grant, studying in her fieldher field

Amandeep: financial stability, home Amandeep: financial stability, home ownership, country of residenceownership, country of residence

Employment Employment RecommendationsRecommendations

Employment Employment RecommendationsRecommendations

Credential recognition; clear info, Credential recognition; clear info, guidance, continued supportguidance, continued support

Essential skills training, e-PortfolioEssential skills training, e-Portfolio

How-to job search; informational How-to job search; informational interviewsinterviews

Interview skill development; behavioural, Interview skill development; behavioural, SAR, prompt sheetsSAR, prompt sheets

Social networking; LinkedIn, FacebookSocial networking; LinkedIn, Facebook

Follow-up strategies; thank-you lettersFollow-up strategies; thank-you letters

Employment Employment Recommendations contd.Recommendations contd.

Employment Employment Recommendations contd.Recommendations contd.Resume; chronological, T-style, photo, Resume; chronological, T-style, photo, lengthlength

Cover letter, referencesCover letter, references

Retraining in their fieldRetraining in their field

Volunteer coordination; why, arrange Volunteer coordination; why, arrange placementplacement

Survival job-purposeSurvival job-purpose

Soft skill training; working in diverse Soft skill training; working in diverse groups, conflict resolution, workplace groups, conflict resolution, workplace culture & idiomsculture & idioms

Childcare Childcare RecommendationsRecommendations

Childcare Childcare RecommendationsRecommendations

Assistance with Assistance with accessing accessing childcarechildcare

Info regarding Info regarding subsidized/alternatsubsidized/alternative optionsive options

Support system Support system (familial)(familial)

Leisure (whole Leisure (whole family)family)

Recommendations: Raising Recommendations: Raising Children in New CultureChildren in New Culture

Recommendations: Raising Recommendations: Raising Children in New CultureChildren in New Culture

DisciplineDiscipline

Parenting infoParenting info

Activities for bothActivities for both

School system School system (report cards, (report cards, homework, casual homework, casual approach, concept approach, concept of time)of time)

Recommendations:Recommendations: Aid Aid With Isolation/Social With Isolation/Social

InteractionInteraction

Recommendations:Recommendations: Aid Aid With Isolation/Social With Isolation/Social

InteractionInteraction

Welcome packageWelcome package

SpeakersSpeakers

Cultural groupsCultural groups

OutingsOutings

Continued supportContinued support

Angela’s Advice for Angela’s Advice for Other WomenOther Women

Angela’s Advice for Angela’s Advice for Other WomenOther Women

• I think they should...especially those...professional ones...they should attend a government program upon arrival it is important..... because it will help them to find a better job and it will also help them to market themselves because the resume here is not the same as the resume in our country. The Philippine resume is so detailed and it takes you three or four pages if you submit that resume in Canada the employer will not read that. They should learn how to prepare a good resume so that the employer will notice. That is the thing that I learned...attending a government program before you find a job because a government program might help you. They might not give you a job but they might help you to find a job.”

SummarySummarySummarySummaryCanadian Immigration Canadian Immigration

Randean’s Immigration Randean’s Immigration HistoryHistory

Rationale & MethodologyRationale & Methodology

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Case StudiesCase Studies

Specific ChallengesSpecific Challenges

EmploymentEmployment

Childcare/ SchoolingChildcare/ Schooling

Social InteractionSocial Interaction

Successes & Successes & RecommendationsRecommendations

Conclusion & QuestionsConclusion & Questions

Making Every Connection Matter

Contact InfoContact InfoContact InfoContact Info

Randean KopytkoRandean Kopytko

http://ca.linkedin.com/randean-kopytko

randeank@yahoo.carandeank@yahoo.ca

““Making Every Making Every Connection Matter”Connection Matter”