It's based on our experience of many years, realizing that some of the women will never come out of their homes if not for women-only classes or programs. As I mentioned, certain women are housebound and won't come out. We initiate meeting with them inside their homes, encourage them, and bring them to the women-only programs. It doesn't mean they will remain in those women-only programs. They're not segregated. It's just the first step for them to come out of their isolation.
From these programs, they meet women from different communities and backgrounds. Our programs are open to women from all backgrounds—Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians, and so on. They get to know other women from other programs. Gradually, as I mentioned, they connect with the larger society. Settlement is a process. Newcomers, especially refugees, will not settle into society overnight. They need gradual steps and layers to get them into the larger Canadian society.
We find that some of the women who never came out of their homes and were encouraged by us to come out and join the language programs are now doing very well. For instance, one young refugee woman who was being abused and was staying at home was enabled by our programs, and she is now working in a mental health organization as a counsellor. We encourage them to go to school. She had talent; most of these women do. They just need culture brokers to get them out.