Thank you, Ms. Chair.
Good morning, and thank you for inviting me to present today.
I'm speaking from Vancouver, the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, especially the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
Our organization was founded 50 years ago, and today we are one of the largest social service agencies in Canada. This past year, we've served over 77,000 people and provided 152,000 services. We also provide a wide range of integrated programs and services for newcomers, including settlement, English language training, employment and entrepreneurship, and women, family, youth and senior programs.
In the first quarter of 2024, men held over 62% of senior management positions while women held over 37%. Eleven per cent of Canadian women live in poverty with higher risk for those facing multiple barriers such as race, disabilities and single motherhood status. By the year 2030, between 40 million and 160 million women globally may need to change jobs. The proportion of female candidates opting for male-dominated trades has risen in the past 10 years. However, it only accounted for 5% of the total registrations for apprenticeships in the year 2019.
Women experience microaggressions at a higher rate than men, such as being mistaken for a junior employee or receiving comments on their emotional state. Black and Asian women are seven times more likely than white women to be confused with someone of the same race and ethnicity. Just in Toronto, the lack of Canadian work experience is a significant barrier for close to 45% of skilled immigrant women pursuing employment. Many immigrant women face significant career transitions due to either regulated professions or the need for reinvention in a new environment.
After the pandemic, recent female immigrants faced a worse outcome than their Canadian-born counterparts. They had higher unemployment rates both before and during the recession.
Given our area of focus, I would like to share my views on the importance of the federal investment in settlement services for newcomers, especially women. I aspire to a better future for all women, especially for those who face additional prejudice because of their intersecting identities such as racialized women or women with disabilities.
At S.U.C.C.E.S.S., we are helping to break gender bias. In fact, last year, over 70% of our clients were female. One of S.U.C.C.E.S.S.'s core aims is to help immigrant women and women from diverse communities obtain language and job skills as well as receive the counselling and family support that they need to succeed on their Canadian journey.
Our integrated women's entrepreneurship project, which was established in 2018 and funded by the Government of Canada's women entrepreneurship strategy, aims to empower women entrepreneurs in Canada by offering a comprehensive range of resources, tools, advisory services and training. It has supported over 798 women entrepreneurs, connected 338 clients to mentorship opportunities, provided one-on-one coaching to over 760 individuals and engaged over 700 participants in workshops and skills training.
The other program I'm going to feature is the integrated employment training for women. It was established in 2022 and funded by Employment and Social Development Canada. Its aim is to empower newcomer women in Canada by offering a comprehensive range of resources, tools, support services and training in early childhood education, the health care system and event planning. We have supported over 188 newcomer women and connected 138 clients to practicum opportunities.
In conclusion, we call for a safe and stable financial environment for women as part of a supportive system that is free of discrimination and racism. Each individual action we take leads the way to collective, systemic change and a truly equal future for women as fully respected, equal members of society.
Thank you again for the opportunity to share our vision and the work at S.U.C.C.E.S.S. with you today.