Status of Women committee  Again, we need to continue to further our studies and research in our community, with your support, of course. We also need to model the type of work we do in our community-based nursing review, which has helped over 250 live-in caregivers back to the their profession, without an

Status of Women committee  I also would like to say that their skills and knowledge and also their education must be recognized. I think that's really very important for women in this country. This is what we want for our women: to achieve economic security, to achieve the kind of equality and also indepen

Status of Women committee  Our community is made up of a majority of women. Some 65% to 70% are women because of that live-in caregiver program, for the last 20 years. In terms of services, we do not have any core funding and we also do not have the same services that other immigrant service societies are

Status of Women committee  As to the live-in caregiver program, our community is actually calling for the scrapping of this program because it sets the context for the economic vulnerability of the community and so many other problems. Instead, we would like them to come with permanent residency status so

Status of Women committee  The fundamental pillars of this program really have to be re-examined, because this is the context also of human rights violations, of this pillar. With the mandatory live-in, the temporary status, they're working under one employer, and there are many other factors that put them

Status of Women committee  When there was funding to do research, we received funding from the Status of Women Canada, both at the federal and regional levels. We also collaborate with academics such as University of British Columbia Professor Geraldine Pratt. We have also worked with Habiba Zaman, who h

Status of Women committee  Yes. I think it's a very important component of our work; it is also part of our development strategies. We have a lot of second-generation Filipino Canadians who have the knowledge and the skills to benefit the community, and we do have self-reliant initiatives to raise funds, b

Status of Women committee  Many have been deported back to the Philippines with their Canadian-born children, and there are many more who are actually working as prostitutes and are being trafficked because they need more income. Some who are no longer in the program and have no more legal papers have to r

Status of Women committee  I think it's really important to continue to fund policy research. We have done this for over ten years now.

Status of Women committee  Yes, I think it's really important. I think we need to have more stories and more testimonies, to actually have more women come and really tell their stories about their experiences.

Status of Women committee  There are many—

Status of Women committee  Yes, I think it would really be good, and we can also encourage our community to start speaking out about their experiences, especially the women. We now have women who have been criminalized under this program.

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  Before 1993, they could come as independent immigrants and practise their professions. In fact, in the seventies a lot of Filipino women nurses came to Canada or were recruited to come and work. At this particular time, without any points, it is the only way for them to come. B

Status of Women committee  As far as our studies have shown, these women have come under the live-in caregiver program because of cheap labour. For example, Filipino nurses work for 24 hours as home support workers.