Status of Women committee  I think this will be a huge step. Lifting women out of poverty is critical in curbing gender-based violence. Financial security is key. Economic dependence is one of the risk factors that put immigrant women at risk of gender-based violence. I totally support a guaranteed livab

Status of Women committee  Affordable housing is a huge issue because, as you know, immigrant women mainly access low-paying, minimum-wage jobs. There's that element of poverty. Is the time over?

Status of Women committee  Okay. Suffice it to say that it is a huge issue.

Status of Women committee  I'll go back to the fact that we have to have robust prevention. It's more about prevention, and getting that information to all these immigrant women and youth. It's critical that they have all this information. Having that outreach and getting to communities that are isolated

Status of Women committee  I think there needs to be more affordable housing to begin with. There needs to be more space in shelters. That was a huge issue because, when COVID struck, the instances of violence shot up and we found ourselves not being able to find shelter space for women needing to flee for

Status of Women committee  Yes, this is a problem here, as well. Sometimes we have children who are 16 and who are six feet tall, and it becomes an issue having them in a shelter. What happens sometimes is that, as an option, they are placed in motels or hotels. That in itself creates additional challenge

Status of Women committee  Thank you for this question. I don't think the supports for newcomers are sufficient at this point. Newcomers are particularly vulnerable when they come to Canada. They don't speak the language, they don't know how the system works and they don't know where the resources are. A

Status of Women committee  It's really a critical issue. IWSO was formed 34 years ago was precisely for this reason, because immigrant and racialized women found it a barrier to access existing mainstream services. There was the need to have organizations that provide that cultural response to their needs.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for that question, because that is a real concern. I have known of immigrant women who have stayed in shelters for longer periods of time because they have large families, many children, and therefore couldn't get space in subsidized housing. This is a real issue. Cons

Status of Women committee  Thank you for this important question. Yes, absolutely, it is important that women have access to all the information they need to be able to reach out to receive services. Having our information on fridge magnets, that is key. More so, it has to be a cross-sectoral venture, ma

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, honourable members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. It is indeed an honour and a pleasure to have been invited to be on this panel today. My name is Mercy Lawluvi, and I'm the executive director at Immigrant Women Servic