Honourable members of the House of Commons, good afternoon.
I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to appear before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
My name is Humaira Madawa. I am a director at Maison Afghane-Canadienne. We are a non-profit organization based in Montreal, Quebec. Our mission consists of supporting the successful integration of new Afghan Canadians into our society; promoting Canadian values; enhancing and sustaining the self-sufficiency of emotionally, economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged members of our community; protecting and assisting youth, women, and elderly Afghans at risk; and acting as an effective communication bridge between communities.
To address the question on how to strengthen the integrity of the immigration spousal sponsorship program in order to ensure the success of sponsored victims or spouses in Canada and prevent vulnerable women from being victimized by an abusive sponsor, I would first like to discuss some current challenges in the Afghan community in relation to the question. Second, I will discuss the challenges abused sponsored women face. Finally, I will provide a few recommendations on behalf of our community on how to improve the conditions of vulnerable people.
The Afghan culture is traditionally very patriarchal, resulting in the dominance and control of women. Afghan men who abuse women typically do so in order to maintain power within the family. Even in this day and age, women typically have a traditional role within the household, while men are breadwinners. The Afghan culture also emphasizes collectivism over western notions of individualism. Traditional Afghan families reside in joint family households, and extended family members are expected to cooperate to serve the interests of the family.
A new bride who comes into Canada has to live with the husband's joint family members and fulfill most of the expectations of her in-laws. She has to adhere to the conventions and customs of her home country. However, this family structure might cause additional problems because extended family members may encourage abuse, or even take part in it. Such cultural dynamics may discourage women from speaking out, as they sincerely believe it is their fate to accept the violence.
Arranged marriages are common in Afghan culture, and this practice continues to persist in North America. It is usual for Afghan men to marry women from their native country as the women are seen to be more traditional and could fulfill their customary roles, even in a Canadian society. When a new bride is sponsored and arrives in Canada, she is expected to adhere to Afghan cultural expectations. She may fail to recognize abuse or even acknowledge abusive treatment.
Furthermore, Afghan women face different challenges in reporting abuse and accessing services. Some of these barriers include isolation due to limited contact with family or others, no emotional support, immigration status due to prominent fear of deportation, financial challenges, and fear of losing her children. Language barriers reduce sponsored women's access to services and information about domestic violence. In the majority of circumstances, these women are completely clueless about the resources available to them. Prior to their arrival in Canada, these new immigrants are not informed sufficiently about Canadian values, rights, and freedoms.
Furthermore, some abused women do not seek help through the resources of the community because their sponsors and their families have established ties with members of the community. Immigrant women are thus reluctant to report abuse to anyone outside of the family. They fear that it will bring shame and alienation from their own community. Members of the community, though aware of these injustices against these women, face conflict of interest and choose not to blow the whistle. The combination of all these challenges in a foreign land makes these women vulnerable and helpless in breaking free from the abusive relationship.
The current conditional permanent residency requirement amplifies the vulnerability of sponsored women who are victims of abuse. Spouses with no children are required to live with their sponsor for a period of two years or risk losing their permanent resident status. Although an exception can be granted to one who can prove that she has been victim of abuse or neglect, this exemption is not always helpful to them. Victims are required to report the abuse in order to maintain their status, yet this is not an easy task. They are challenged by fear, shame, financial vulnerability, and other obstacles. Furthermore, they have to prove that the abuse took place. In a culture that is still hesitant to acknowledge the prevalence of abuse towards women, speaking out can be the most difficult task.
For example, in Montreal there was the recent family murder case of the Shafias. The first wife was sponsored to Canada on a visa as a domestic servant of the family. She found herself trapped in an abusive marriage and was too afraid to flee. She ended up becoming a murder victim. There are many other similar cases of polygamy and abuse among the eastern cultures.
On behalf of the Afghan community in Montreal, I would like to recommend a few measures to the committee to prevent vulnerable women from being victimized in abusive relationships and also to ensure a better integration of new immigrants into our society.
First, prior to their arrival in Canada immigrants should be informed in their language of origin of Canadian laws, rights, values, and available services. They should be informed that they could seek the help they need, should they be victims of abuse by their sponsors. There are currently no programs in place in foreign embassies to educate these women about their rights.
Furthermore, new immigrants should also be informed of employment, education, and linguistic and social integration programs. Attendance to this information should be mandatory as part of their sponsorship application before they leave their native countries. This measure would not only prevent vulnerable women from being victimized by an abusive sponsor but also facilitate their integration in Canada.
Second, upon the arrival of new residents in Canada, integration courses should also be made mandatory for new residents in order for them to acquire linguistic skills, learn about their rights, and to be educated on their participation in the workforce. Additionally, counselling services should be available at these centres for individuals in need. As previously mentioned by your witnesses, isolation and language barriers are the root causes of vulnerability of abused women. Through this program, women would not only be forced to step out of their homes but would also meet other people, acquire autonomy, and therefore break free from isolation. An abusive sponsor would not be able to oppose this measure, as it would be a condition for the acceptance of their sponsorship.
Moreover, as previously discussed, conditional permanent residence requirements should be abolished, as they place these abused women in a vulnerable situation due to their fear of deportation. Additionally, more publicity should be made available on support services, resources, and the rights of women fleeing violence. This information should be provided in a variety of languages.
Finally, there should be more funds allocated to community services and associations that support and work hard for the integration of their community members into Canadian society.
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to present our opinion on the matter.