Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's correct. We are also looking at supporting the call of SIKLAB to scrap the live-in caregiver program, because as we see it, it's fundamentally flawed and creating the conditions for all kinds of abuse and violation of human rights.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We also believe that those types of reforms or changes to the program would improve the conditions of the caregivers. But at the same time, if you look at it, our call is really to grant them permanent residency so they are not vulnerable to abuses because of their temporary status.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's right.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That would improve the delay we find in processing the work permit, so that might also improve their chances of applying for permanent residency. But there's also the fact that the majority of women coming from the Philippines to work under the live-in caregiver program are professionals in the Philippines.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. For Grassroots Women, we also see that the live-in caregiver program is actually the de facto national child care program of the federal government. The reason we oppose this program is because it is child care accessible only to middle- and upper-class Canadians, leaving working-class women to struggle through survival day to day with no access to affordable and accessible child care.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's about $1,500 a month, because the live-in caregivers receive minimum wage. So here in B.C. they receive about $8 an hour.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. I'd like to share also that women's organizations are being harshly affected as well because of the cuts to the women's program at Status of Women Canada. For example, the recent changes to the program, basically denying funding for any research and advocacy and only providing services, are also harshly impacting women's organizations that are dealing with women who are facing these types of abuses.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It depends because of the strict requirements of their employment. Again, that is a big factor in the reason a lot of women do not complain. They know that once they change or leave their employers, they have to find another employer and process their work permit, which could take up to three months, which could jeopardize their finishing the program.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We do share the experiences. I also work with the Philippine Women Centre and SIKLAB. As I mentioned before, the women who come under the LCP are covered by employment standards, which is a right that the caregivers themselves advocated for. Often they do not complain; they do not come forward.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Perhaps I could add one last point. We also demand the implementation of a universal child care program that's accessible and affordable. We see the LCP as the de facto national child care program but only accessible to middle- and upper-class families. Thank you.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today. Grassroots Women of B.C. was formed in 1995 as a discussion group by the Philippine Women Centre of B.C. Since then we have evolved into an organization of working-class and marginalized women advocating for our rights and welfare here in Canada and against systemic political and economic marginalization.