Rosemarie, a Hamilton mother of 3 daughters, has experienced the brunt of incomprehensible social assistance rules. When one of her daughters went to university, half of the income from her daughter’s job was taken back from Rosemarie’s ODSP cheque. But Rosemarie fought the system – and won!

Q.How did this all start for you?About four years ago, my

daughter was going to univer-sity. Social services expects de-pendant adults to work, just like someone on Ontario Works, so we had to follow the same rules. I found that very frustrating be-cause, even though they were requiring her to work, they were taking 50 cents for every dollar of her income off my cheque. Meanwhile, someone in high school who is working would not have any money taken away. On top of this we have all the ex-tra costs of tuition because she’s in university.

Q. So what was your reaction?I didn’t know what to do

about it at first but I thought that it was a dumb rule - very counter-productive, because the government wants our children to go to school so they can get out of poverty. Hopefully they graduate and get a good job, start paying taxes and then they’re out of the system. But they were do-ing everything in their power to make it difficult.

-continued on page 4 -

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • Published by the Immigrant Women’s Centre

There are many ways to measure poverty and wealth in any society, and there are many debates over which is the best way to do it.

To clearly determine the im-pacts of any poverty reduction initiatives, researchers need to measure poverty, to see how many people might be consid-ered poor before a program is put in place and how many (hopefully fewer) might be considered poor afterwards.

One common way is to simply measure how much in-come is received by each per-son, but that doesn’t take into account that everyone has dif-ferent fixed expenses. Another type of measure that is gaining popularity is called a “depriva-tion index” and consists of sur-veying the population to ask which basic necessities they can or can’t afford. The list of basic necessities is not easy to find consensus on, as each person might have a different idea of what is needed to live in their community.

The advantage of a depriva-tion index is that it makes the hardships faced by those with limited incomes crystal clear – who could argue that our soci-ety needs to help a person who can’t afford clothes for a job in-terview?

Ireland has used a depriva-tion index for over a decade to measure what they call “con-sistent poverty”. Recently the provincial government an-nounced that it will be using a new Ontario deprivation index as part of their poverty reduc-

tion strategy. For comparative purposes,

a workshop was held recently at the Immigrant Women’s Centre with a group of thirty recent immigrant women to develop a list of ten items a woman needs to have to live in Hamilton.

One student was quick to explain that a woman needs “a good life” In Hamilton—not just “a life.” The women talk-ed about many things such as health, food, education, hous-ing and transportation and each woman made a list of ten things they need to be able to purchase and may have trou-ble affording. When all the lists were combined the most popu-lar ones were added to the final list, which was then compared to the Irish and Ontario Depri-vation Indices.

One student mentioned that the things a woman needs to buy in Hamilton may be differ-ent from the necessities in an-other city or another country.

A car was on the list for many women. One woman explained: “Maybe you need to go to a job that is far away—not where the bus is going.” Another woman said that the bus she needs does not run all night and if her job is at night she cannot afford a taxi. Oth-ers commented that waiting for the bus with children, and shopping bags can be difficult; and paying bus fare everyday for adults and children is also expensive.

- continued on page 4-

Hamilton Women create their own “Deprivation Index”Mary Lindsey and Sara Mayo, Social Planning and Re-search Council of Hamilton

One thing everyone can agree on is that poverty needs to be reduced. But the best ways to do that can sometimes be a matter of opinion.

LINC level 4+

Discussion: If you were to make your own Deprivation Index, what would you include?

1. What is one way that poverty is measured?2. What was one reason that a car was on the

list for many women?

Hamilton Women’s Deprivation Index:• Car (including gas, insurance and driving lessons)• Fresh food (including meat and fish)• Kitchen appliances• Education (including school activities)• Furniture• Clothes• Fees for citizenship applications• Washing machine (access to laundry and supplies)• Medical services not covered by OHIP (especially dental care

and glasses)• Bus pass

Ontario Deprivation Index:• Do you eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day?• Are you able to get dental care if needed?• Do you eat meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent at least every

other day?• Are you able to replace or repair broken or damaged appliances

such as a vacuum or a toaster?• Do you have appropriate clothes for job interviews?• Are you able to get around your community, either by having a

car, by taking the bus or an equivalent mode of transportation?• Are you able to have friends or family over for a meal at least

once a month?• Is your house or apartment free of pests, such as cockroaches?• Are you able to buy some small gifts for family or friends at

least once a year?• Do you have a hobby or leisure activity?

Irish deprivation index:• Without heating at some stage in the last year• Unable to afford a morning, afternoon or evening out in the

last fortnight• Unable to afford two pairs of strong shoes• Unable to afford a roast once a week• Unable to afford meat, chicken or fish every second day• Unable to afford new (not second-hand) clothes• Unable to afford a warm waterproof coat• Unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm• Unable to afford to replace any worn out furniture• Unable to afford to have family or friends for a drink or meal

once a month• Unable to afford presents for family/friends at least once a year

Women at the April 29 focus group at the Immigrant Women’s Centre collabo-rate to develop a Deprivation Index that reflects the needs of local women.

How one woman made a change

“The thing is, the people who make

these rules have no idea how it affects

people.”

Facing bureaucratic social assistance rules, one woman fights the system.

Special Issue:

WOMEN AND POVERTY IN HAMILTON Report pp 5-8

The recent provincial budget ended the Special Diet Program, ensuring that thousands of our most vulner-able citizens will be pushed deeper into poverty and illness. In March 2009, 374,000 Ontarians visited a food bank.

Too many Ontarians are forced to be dependent on such emergency programs, which were meant to be temporary. This shows the erosion of Canada’s social safety net. What kind of nation denies its most vulner-able citizens access to the healthy foods they need in order to be well again? It is time for a change.Senators Hugh Segal and Art Eggleton advocate a

Guaranteed Annual Income, claiming that current government programs have been ineffective in reduc-ing poverty or improved re-entry to the labour market. One form of a Guaranteed Annual Income, called a Negative Income Tax, could be structured so that when an individual files their tax return, and their income falls below what is needed for adequate survival, the government would provide a tax benefit to that indi-vidual.As Segal and Eggleton say, there would be no mas-

sive program or intervention; no public means test or interrogation at the welfare office; no embarrassment; less fraud; more dignity and self-respect. This is some-thing that I, as a Canadian citizen, would be proud to contribute to.We already have a similar program for seniors, the

Guaranteed Income Supplement along with the Old Age Security program. And in effect the combined fed-eral and provincial child benefits are a form of basic annual income for families with children. On the other hand, single persons have no such uni-

versal program. It is single persons, both women and men, who face the lowest incomes in our social assis-tance programs but don’t have any of the economic and social benefits of a family unit (such sharing the

costs of housing). A recent report from Senators Segal and Eggleton showed that singles are 11% of the pop-ulation, but 35% of all Canadians are living on a low income. As the SPRC’s report on Women and Poverty in Ham-

ilton highlights, the rates of poverty for single women are especially high. We need to implement innovative measures to help them. No one deserves to live in poverty. A Guaranteed An-

nual Income program would help to break the cycle of poverty and reduce the costs for all Canadians.

Letter from the Editors

Please send feedback and submissions to: womenspress@stjosephwomen.on.caor call Kiruthiha at 905-529-5209 x257

Local lawyer Deepa Dayal answers questions from readers about issues important to women and immigrants.

Income, rights & housing

Can I be refused rental housing?

Legal Q & A With Deepa Dayal

Q:A: Housing is a human right. As a tenant, you have the right to equal treatment in housing with-out discrimination or harassment. In Ontario, section 2 of the Ontario Human Rights Code recognizes the right to equal treatment with respect to the occupancy of accom-modation.

It is against the law in Ontario for anyone to treat you unfairly or to refuse to rent you an apartment on any one or more of the grounds provided under the Ontario Hu-man Rights Code, which are Race, Sex, Colour, Nationality, Place of Origin, Sexual Orientation, Age and/or Religion or because:• You are pregnant or have chil-

dren• You are on welfare or govern-

ment assistance• You are a person living with a

disability• You are single, separated, di-

vorced or living common law• You are sixteen or seventeen and

living away from your parentsWomen’s experiences of hous-

ing discrimination are frequently related to their sex, and are often

related to other characteristics such as their family or marital status, their race or race-related character-istics, age or disability.

A landlord or other housing provider who denies a rental op-portunity to a person because of a personal characteristic that is iden-tified by the Code is vulnerable to having human rights complaint/claim filed against them.

A regulation to the Code sets out what business practices are accept-able and what information can be used by the landlords when choos-ing tenants:• Rental history, credit references

and/or credit checks may be re-quested. A lack of rental or cred-it history should not be viewed negatively.

• A landlord can ask for income information, but they must also ask for and consider together any available information on rental history, credit referenc-es and credit checks (such as through Equifax Canada).

• Income information can only be considered on its own when no other information is made avail-able.

• Income information should be limited to confirming that the person has enough income to cover the rent.

• It is illegal for housing provid-ers to apply a rent-to-income ratio such as a 30% cut-off rule. However, income information alone and rent-to-income ratios may be considered when ten-ants are applying for subsidized units where the rent amount is geared to income level.

• Housing providers can also ask for a “guarantor” to sign the lease – but only if the landlord has the same requirements for all tenants, not just for people identified by Code grounds, such as recent immigrants or people receiving social assis-tance

- Deepa Dayal practices law in Ham-ilton and specializes in the areas of civil, family, immigra¬tion, employ-ment and admin¬istrative law. She can be reached at Deepa Dayal Law Office, Suite No. 107A, 100 Main Street East. Contact her by phone at 905-523-7171 or e-mail at day¬al@deepalaw.com.

Reform social assistance in favour of a Guaranteed Annual Income Brooke Camplin

LINC level 5+

1. What program, similar to Guaran-teed Annual Income, is in place for Seniors?

2. What percentage of Canadians are living on a low income?

Discussion: What responsibility do you think Canada has for citizens in terms of income and access to resources?

The recent Spectator series on poverty in Hamilton- Code Red-was missing one very criti-cal element: a gender lens. Women’s voices were conspicuously absent and that was very disap-pointing. Why is it that in spite of women writ-ing articles and speaking at economic summits, and holding news conferences, women’s voices are still not included? We, in Hamilton, still have not grasped what the World Bank, Lehman Both-ers, the Gates Foundation and dozens of other economic and development agencies have come to realize: that women are the key to building healthy communities and to ending poverty. As Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times says: “Women aren’t the problem; they are the solu-tion.” Consider this:• For every dollar a woman earns she invests

80 cents in her family compared to 30 cents by men.

• An extra year of primary school raises a girl’s lifetime wages 10-20%

• An extra year of secondary school raises a girl’s lifetime wages 15-25%

• Children of educated women are healthier and more likely to be in school themselves.

• When girls have received 7 or more years of education they marry 4.4 years later and have 2.2 fewer childrenWith 3.3 billion girls and women, it is easy

to understand how vital girls and women are to the wellbeing of their families, communities and their countries. And yet, for every develop-ment dollar spent, girls receive less than 2 cents. Women carry out two thirds of the world’s work but receive only one tenth of its income and own only one hundredth of its property.

A pivotal study by Girls Summit shows that educating girls and women leads to higher wages, lower fertility, reduced maternal and child mortality, and better health and educa-tion for current and future generations. Simply put, investing in girls and women and creating opportunities for them is imperative to build-ing strong, healthy families, communities and countries. Strong and healthy countries boast productive and high performing economies, just societies and political stability. Does anyone re-member seeing a woman’s name at the head of any of the companies implicated in connection with the recent economic meltdown? This was the observation in the New York Times a few weeks ago.

If you are using a business mind and you saw the Return On Investing in girls, you would in-vest in girls. Right? Well, interestingly enough that is what is starting to happen.

“We are disciplined in our investments, and when you get to the topic of trying to invest and create GDP, there is no better or more efficient investment than the investment you make in women.”

- Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs

For several years, many of us in the women’s community have been trying to draw attention to the female face of poverty. A few years ago, SPRC produced the first comprehensive report on female poverty; an update is coming soon. Thanks to SPRC we have some inkling as to how poverty is impacting women in Hamilton. But that is only one side of the coin. The other side, as the evidence above shows, is that if we actually invest in women and girls we will get a huge return. If we really want Hamilton to be the best place to raise a child, we have to invest in women and girls.

Catherine M. Pead Ines RiosCEO YWCA Hamilton Executive Director IWC

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.2

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.3

Mary Lee is a community activist who has been involved in many anti-poverty campaigns in Hamilton. She also has been coordinating the Stuart Street garden, behind the Workers’ Arts & Heritage Centre near Bayfront Park, for the last 4 years.

Q. How did you get involved in com-munity gardens?

Way Robinson, a long time Hamil-ton activist said they needed someone and no one volunteered so I said “hey, I can do it” – I like a challenge.

Q. How can community gardens be a tool to reduce poverty?

It costs $10 to join to get the key for the gate, but after that it’s all free. So members get to harvest fresh healthy food which leads to a much better diet than what money is left over from so-cial assistance after rent.

Q. What has been your experience with community gardens for build-ing friendships and solidarity among women?

We have some women who have mental health issues, and often they don’t want to socialize. So for them the garden can be wonderful because they can work there alone and not be bothered. For those women who like to socialize they can join with a friend or their family members and do the

gardening in a group. We had a wom-an come from the Mountain and she brought her adult daughter. Another woman gardened with her husband. Many come with their kids. And then of course women can meet and talk with the other gardeners.

Q. How does your garden work?We started with plots but that wasn’t

as successful. When we changed to a collective garden it was much better. People help with the planting (that’s a big day), with the weeding and with the watering. Then we all share in the harvest throughout the season. The Hamilton Community Gardening Net-work – has been a life support for our garden. They’ve helped with logistics, finding volunteers, training, etc.

Q. What advice would you give to a woman who wants to get involved in a community garden?

Just get out there and do it. Hamil-ton is a wonderful city for people help-ing people. It’s the people who make Hamilton alive. Like my daughter said to me: “Mom, we have to rely on our-selves. We can’t wait for the govern-ment to help us – that may never hap-pen.”

How does our garden grow?An interview with a community gardener

The women of the Stuart Street Community Garden discuss the plantings for this sea-son. Photo courtesy of Molly MacDonald.

“Hamilton is a wonder-ful city for people help-

ing people.”

LINC level 3+

1. As a member of the community garden, what benefits do you get?

2. What garden activities do people help with?

Discussion: What are some other ways that a community garden might benefit a community?

For more information on community gardening in Hamilton, check out the Hamilton Community Garden Network:http://www.naturallyhamilton.ca/community-gardening-hamiltonOr, call Green Venture at (905) 540-8787. If you use Facebook, you can also search for “HCGN” to find their page.

Two busloads of activists from Hamilton travelled to Queens Park on April 27th to protest the continuing clawbacks to social assistance be-ing experienced by families receiving the On-tario Child Benefit.

They were joined by sympathizers from an-ti-poverty groups in Toronto. Most of the pro-testers were members of the Campaign for Ad-equate Welfare & Disability Benefits (CAWDB), and grandmothers from the group "We are Rais-ing Our Children's Kids" (WeRock), as well as the Social Action Committee (SAC) of the On-tario Association of Social Workers (Hamilton).

Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP Leader, and Paul Miller, MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek asked questions about the clawback in the Legislature; the responses from Madeleine Meil-leur, Minister of Community & Social Services, and Laurel Broten, Minister of Child & Youth Services, did not address the questions, but at-tempted to sidetrack the issue.

The goal of the demonstration was to bring public attention to these clawbacks, as continu-ing appeals to the Ministries involved and local government MPPs have been ignored. In No-vember 2009, Minister Meilleur responded to a letter from Hamilton's Mayor about the claw-back with reassurances about the good job her government was doing, and no mention of his question about the clawback.

When they were re-elected in 2007 on a Pov-erty Reduction platform, the Ontario govern-ment promised to stop clawing back the Nation-al Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) from social assistance recipients, and to “take children off welfare” by introducing an Ontario Child Ben-

efit (OCB) for all low income families with chil-dren. The public generally does not realize that much of the OCB is “clawed back” from families on social assistance. Children in these families effectively receive much less from the OCB than families that are not on social assistance.

In July 2008, low income families with chil-dren began to receive an OCB payment of $50 per month ($600 per year); but those on social as-sistance lost their “Back to School” and “Winter Clothing” allowances, which were worth $245 per year for children 13+ and $184 for younger children. In July 2009, the OCB was increased to $92, but most of this was clawed back from fami-lies on social assistance, by reducing the Basic Needs portion of the parents' benefits.

Worst hit by this clawback were parents with one child aged 13 or older: these families are now receiving only $1 per month more than prior to July 2009. Many of these families are headed by single moms.

The poorest families in the province are those on social assistance: the drastic cut of 21% to so-cial assistance by the Harris Conservatives in 1995 has never been replaced; with inflation, it is generally recognized that the buying power of social assistance allowances is about 40% less than before the cuts.

Children have now been reportedly been “taken off social assistance” as most of their benefits now come from federal and provincial child benefits instead of through social assis-tance. But children’s needs are met by their par-ents; without a meaningful overall increase in their incomes, parents cannot afford to provide adequate food or shelter for their children.

The activists who rallied at Queens Park in-tend to continue to confront the Government about its discriminatory policy, in which chil-dren whose parents receive social assistance re-ceive much less from the Ontario Child Benefit than children in other low income families.

On April 27 at Queen’s Park, Susan Pratt and Jeannie Mather protest the clawback of the Ontario Child Benefit from families on social as-sistance. Photo courtesy of Susan Pratt. “The public generally does

not realize that much of the OCB is “clawed back” from

families on social assistance.”

Ontario’s poorest moms don’t see much benefit from the Ontario Child BenefitSally Palmer, Ontario Association of Social Workers

New members are welcome to help in anti-poverty activities:

• The Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Bene-fits meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at First Pilgrim United Church, 200 Main St. E., 1 to 3 p.m.

• The Social Action Committee meets (usually) on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at McMaster University School of Social Work, Kenneth Taylor Hall, Room 306A. Non-social workers who want to participate in advocacy work are welcome. More information can be obtained from Sally Palmer, Tel. 519-647-3927 (not long distance);

E-mail salepalmer277@aol.com.

LINC level 5+

1. What were the activists protesting on April 27th?

2. Who are the worst hit by the clawback?

Discussion: What types of actions would you use to “take children off welfare”?

Q. How did you decide to do try to change the rule?

I thought what could I do about it, I’m just one person? I didn’t see anything in the news about anyone else com-plaining and one day I heard that Deb Matthews, the Minis-ter of Community and Social Services at the time, was com-ing to Hamilton to talk about the clawback to National Child Benefit. They allowed people to speak from the au-dience and I thought it was a good opportunity to speak out about this. So that was the first time I did speak out. I was worried about it, but I got a good reaction. Afterwards, Sally Palmer, from the Ontario Association of Social Work-ers, came and talked to me. No one else seemed to know about this. I found out you could do something about it.

Sally and Josie d’Amico from the Campaign for Ad-equate Welfare and Disability Benefits started inviting me to the group and then other groups helped out as well, like

the legal aid clinic and church groups. We went to the On-tario Legislature Queens’ Park and my MPP, Andrea Hor-wath, asked a question about my situation. We spoke at oth-er meetings as well.

Q. When did the victory fi-nally occur?

When the Ontario Strategy for Poverty Reduction was an-nounced in December of 2008 - it was one of the things they said they would change right away. But in the end it wasn’t until April 2009 that the rule was changed.

Q. Did your daughter face other obstacles because of your situation?

We decided together she wouldn’t apply for OSAP be-cause she didn’t want to be in debt. But then we found out that she couldn’t apply for McMaster bursaries or on-campus jobs, because they re-quire you to apply for OSAP. We asked to meet with the registrar and explained the

situation. McMaster agreed to change the rules so that you could still apply for bursaries as long as you showed finan-cial need. The thing is, the people who make these rules have no idea how it affects people. Once you point out the problems they realize that the rules should be changed. I was disappointed though that the next year in the Mc-Master booklet they didn’t properly explain that the rule had changed and still printed that you needed to apply for OSAP.

Q. What was challenging for you in fighting this rule?

I am a shy person so I was very nervous about speaking up. So that was difficult.

Q. Did you think you would win?

I wasn’t sure, but so many people agreed with me and since it didn’t require chang-ing a law they said it would be easier. It helped that all these rules were keeping people from getting good jobs and paying taxes so that they no longer need these programs – no one argues against that.

Q. What advice would you have for other women who are facing an injustice?

You should speak out if you think something is wrong. One person can make a differ-ence. People will listen and there are organizations and supporters that will help you fight. And not to worry about repercussions – people say that others will hold things against you because of what you say – but that wasn’t true at all for me.

Kitchen appliances were also high on the list for many women – most of them faced the major responsibilities for cooking and so not having ap-pliances like a fridge, a stove, or a microwave can make their life much harder. Anoth-er way that the home respon-sibilities borne by women were made clear was the com-mon mention of a washing machine, an item absent from the Irish and Ontario lists.

The extra fees and costs associated with applying for permanent residency and citi-zenship were also top of mind for these women, a cost that might be forgotten by those who aren’t recent immigrants.

After the final list was cre-ated, one student questioned the researchers and the rest of the group— “We know what things we need, and we can-not afford them. What can we do about it?”

Hamilton women create “Deprivation Index”

- continued from page 1

How one women made a change- continued from page 1 -

LINC level 4+

1. What was it that Rosemarie found frustrat-ing and unfair?

2. How did Rosemarie first raise awareness about this issue?

Discussion: What policies or practices in social assistance have you found to be un-fair? What suggestions would you make for change?

“You’ve come a long way baby” or at least that's what a commercial back in the '60s told women. But for many, especially women living in poverty, it would seem we have a long way to go.

Women's participation in the labour market has risen steadily since the early '70s. This might seem to be good news but the reality is there are more women out there balancing work and family, child care, elder care, home responsibilities and job responsibilities. Research shows that women shoulder the brunt of these responsibilities and for working women the burden is heavy. Work-life balance is elusive.

But add another layer to this burden, poverty. Statistics show that 20% of Ham-ilton women are living in poverty. Among single women with children under 18 the poverty rate rises to 57%. There are some women out there who go to work every day and who still live below the poverty line. What are the challenges that women face in accessing meaningful well-paying work in Hamilton’s labour mar-ket?

Education is important, and increasingly so. The stats show that for single women living in poverty in Hamilton 31% have not completed high school. A re-cently released report suggests that over 70% of jobs of the future will require post secondary education. Research shows that women are less likely to receive training whether they are employed or unemployed. Funded opportunities for skills de-velopment, which are critical for women living in poverty, are often tied to access to benefits like Employment Insurance. But, because women are often employed part time or their work history is less stable because family responsibilities, only about a third of women qualify for EI allowing them to access skills development funding.

With training and education being the keys to success in our future labour mar-ket and access to funded training opportunities challenging, how can you as a woman advance and thrive in our current economy? Here are a few suggestions

that may assist you on your way. 1. Take the time to find out what is happening in our local labour market. Ham-

ilton’s economy is shifting and new industry sectors and businesses are rising to the fore. Read the newspaper. Check out the Hamilton Public Library Ca-reer Discover Centres or other career resource centres. The Hamilton Training Advisory Board’s website, www.htab.ca has many resources for job and labour market exploration. Hamilton has a diverse economy and there are jobs out there that you have never heard of.

2. Explore your interests and abilities. There are many community employment agencies that can help you figure out what it is you may be best suited for given your education, your family situation, your goals.

3. Focus on a sector and skills required to achieve your career goal in that sec-tor. Find out what the career pathways are in that sector. For example, if you are thinking about a career in healthcare in Hamilton (an important sector for jobs in Hamilton), consider entry-level positions that will bring familiarity and experience with the sector and will allow you to train and advance.

4. Embrace lifelong learning. With skills and credentials requirements increas-ing steadily, your pathway to future success will be tied to your ability to learn new things.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize. Achieving your goals is not always easy but focus and determination are the keys.

We have come a long way. We have more work to do to achieve our goals but we can do it!

Education is key to reducing povertySuggestions on how to choose a training path for yourselfJudy Travis, Executive Director of the Hamilton Training Advisory Board & Co-Lead of

the Immigration Framework Priority of Hamilton’s Jobs Prosperity Collaborative

“There are some women out there who go to work every day and who still live below the

poverty line.”

With training and education being the keys to suc-cess in our future labour market and access to funded training opportunities challenging, how can you as a woman advance and thrive in our current economy?

LINC level 6/7

1. What did a recent report indicate about requirements for jobs in the future?

2. What is one suggestion for women to thrive in the cur-rent economy?

Discussion: Which of the 5 suggestions do you see as be-ing most important? What suggestions would you add?

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.4

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.5

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.6

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.7

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.8

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.9

A large number of people living in poverty are wom-en. Research also indicates that most of the families liv-ing in poverty are lone parent families. Over 80% of lone parent families in Canada are led by women.

Poverty is a determinant of health. Overwhelming statistics prove that there is a significant difference in the mental and physical health of single mothers than that of women raising their families in a partnered re-lationship. Research and lived testimonial show that these inequities can be attributed to poverty and other determinants of health.

A participant in the “No Community Stands ALONE” Community Roundtable Discussion ex-plained: “We should be able to get the same level of health care as everybody else. There should be no dif-ference.”

Health equity is the fair and just distribution of re-sources. It is not just about everyone receiving the same services but that services are based on and provided in a way that is responsive to the needs of the people or community served. It also requires that planning processes be open and that community members have fair and equitable opportunity to be a part of identify-ing their needs and participate in the implementation of solutions.

Social inequities cause health inequity. We hope that we do not live in a community that allows whole neighbourhoods and communities to suffer poor health based on how much money they have, the colour of their skin or their gender, but research about poverty in Hamilton says that we do, including the recent Ham-ilton Spectator Investigation “Code Red”. Health in-equities and social inequities are directly related, and focusing only on one without focus on the other will not eliminate these inequities.

Being a woman is a determinant of health, in fact for many women it is not just our gender that impacts our lives and our health but the other inequities caused by racism, ethnocentrism, heterosexism, classism, able-bodyism. These, along with other forms of oppression, are very real intersecting social factors that affect our lives and our health status.

While our experiences as women are diverse there may be some commonalities in terms of the difficulties we face obtaining the care and services we need. These similarities include but are not limited to receiving less care or lower standard of care; experiencing differen-tial treatment by providers; limited research about our unique health conditions; receiving services that do not meet our needs; and experiences of discrimination be-cause of lower income status. These psychosocial fac-tors can exert a more powerful influence on physical and mental health often greater than poverty alone.

In order to achieve health equity we must first ac-knowledge and take action to address the deliberate public and private decisions and policy that helped to create the inequitable conditions and outcomes we face in Hamilton today.

There is much evidence the social determinants and basic rights, needs of people must be addressed. For those of you who are list makers, if we were to create a list it may look something like this:1. Women need access to sustainable living wages and

concrete tools and methods to transition out of pov-erty. They need opportunities to become home and business owners and participate in a safe and clean community.

2. They need to live in an environment that is free of racism, sexism and discrimination, with access to

healthful and affordable food choices, quality hous-ing and neighbourhoods that facilitate community capacity building and the importance of human connection and benefits of having social supports.

3. They need access to good schools for their kids; af-fordable and reliable public transportation. Safe places to live and play as well as opportunities to participate in physical activities.

4. Everyone has a right to health care and information about their health.

5. We must address the unchanging wage gap be-tween men’s and women’s work.

6. Violence against women must be addressed and be eradicated and deemed as socially taboo as drink-ing and driving or smoking. We must work to re-lieve women of the merciless experiences of depri-vation, social isolation and exclusion and chronic stress, depression and constant worry about being economically poor.

- continued on page 10 -

Poverty the Greatest Health Risk Women FaceNadine Favics, Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre

LINC level 6/7+

1. What is one common challenge that women face in accessing service and care?

2. What are two forms of op-pression that are social factors affecting health?

Discussion: What do you see as being part of the solution for Hamilton?

In 2008 Hamilton Urban Core in partnership with McQueston Legal and Community Services, St. Matthew’s House and The Campaign for Ad-equate Welfare and Disability Benefits launched the “No Community Stands ALONE” campaign to end poverty.

The campaign included a series of community roundtable discussions in which people shared their experiences of living in poverty and isola-tion. As a result of this work a video titled “Urban Crisis: The Story of Poverty in Hamilton” was pro-duced. The goal of this initiative was to provide a vehicle for the people actually living in poverty to speak about their lived experiences, share their ideas and give advice about how to make real change in this community and eradicate poverty.

It is important that when we speak about poverty we understand that the experts are the people who are experiencing poverty.

“Poverty is an unacceptable human condition. We can change that. We can

agree that no one deserves to live in poverty. We can agree that everyone

has the right to a life with dignity and hope. We can agree to challenge igno-

rance and take action.” - Report on the Community Roundtable Discussions

“Poverty is the greatest health risk we face. We can change that. We can work to ensure that everyone has access to the health services and care and support they need to be well.” – Report on the Community Roundtable Discussions

Ala Mohamed“It is important to have a con-

ference – it motivates women in Hamilton, especially new immi-grants. Women know they are not alone; there is someone out there in the same struggle. We create a bond and network, and gain expe-rience that benefits us in everyday life.”

Women are talking about...

Marlin Kedini“At this conference women from

all cultures and experiences have at opportunity to discuss com-mon female experiences and is-sues. Women gain acess to critical health knowledge that they might not have access to otherwise. It is a chance to gain or give peer sup-port, and raise awareness of ser-vices of support that you might not come across regularly.”

Rana Aldibs“It’s great to have a big celebra-

tion for women to meet – women from different societies, different cultures and different countries. There is a lot of information on health. It is an open door for a woman to educate herself about health. Here, we are in a good spot to learn.”

Awatif Hagelamin“I like that women come togeth-

er to inspire eachother and gain knowledge. There are workshops with lots of information, for exam-ple how to build a business from home. I had the opportunity to read an inspirational poem – I was able to share that inspiration with other women.”

Ashley Thomas & Kate Harrington“The conference hosts the di-

verse community and there is a very well-rounded assortment of resources. Anything that can get women together in position to learn and share resources is em-powering. We feel the empower-ment as workers here to share info about our services of support, and as women as well.”

Shannon Taylor “It’s important to bring people

together from different areas of expertise, cultures, social groups so we can learn from each other’s experiences and find unity in our diversity. This conference gives women in Hamilton a chance to do that on a grand scale. We are always in our small circles, if we intersect circles and branch out we can really learn something.“

At the Women’s Health and Wellness Conference on March 17, 2010, we asked women why they thought this type of event was important. Here’s what they had to say.

Confession: I bought “The Story of Stuff” after promising myself I’d BUY NOTHING but essentials for a month. I was spring cleaning and was astonished at the amount of stuff I had accumulated. I sat among bags of stuff that I had planned to take to the Salvation Army and in-stead of feeling good about it, I felt guilty. It felt so wasteful and for the first time I began to wonder where all of this “stuff” was going to end up on this already crowded planet.

If you’ve ever wondered about the impact of our over-consump-tion, Annie Leonard’s book is for you. The Story of Stuff taught me

about where the things we buy come from and the environmental and so-cial impacts of “our obsession with stuff”. Annie creates a new way to think about the choices we make in our own lives and how they connect to everyone and everything. Her message is that life is about more than stuff or profits and we should appreciate everything we have. She answers questions like “Who made those shoes? Where? How did they end up in my closet? Who raised the beef in my hamburger and how? How did it end up on my grill?”

The book will make you think about your decisions in product selection as well as packaging, dis-posability, obsolescence, shipping distance, manufacturing and ma-terials. The Story of Stuff explores how things that seem unrelated are

related and the interlinking of sys-tems shows us there is a cost vs. a price for everything we buy.

The author notes “I want us to value our Stuff more, to care for it, to give it the respect it deserves. I want us to recognize that each thing we buy involved all sorts of re-sources and labor. Someone mined the earth for the metals in your cell phone; someone unloaded the bales from the cotton gin for your T-shirt. Someone in a factory assembled that pair of sunglasses, and they might have been exposed to carcin-ogens or forced to work over-time.’ Annie Leonard’s book will definite-ly change the way you look at the world. For more information and to see the her thought provoking vid-eo, visit www.thestoryofstuff.com.

- continued from page 9

Poverty for many women and their families is a reality for their whole lives and for many Ham-ilton residents a multigenerational experience. Of course people have little opportunity, strength or energy to make healthful decisions. They are mostly preoccupied with “just surviving”.

Hamilton needs a solution. This will require that the whole community is engaged and in-volved in all stages of building these solutions. From planning, design to the actual implementa-tion and evaluation of these solutions.

A report from the participants of a conference on Health Equity and Diversity released the fol-lowing declaration:

“Fair and equitable health outcomes across diverse communities will result from utilizing an inclusive health framework for publicly funded and other universally accessible health services. This requires policies, planning, education and training, funding and research that clearly rec-ognize racism/ racialization and all other forms of exclusion and oppression as fundamental so-cial determinants impacting health and wellness. We further recognize the intersecting and com-pounding impact of various forms of marginal-ization, including but not limited to race, national or ethnic origin, class, spirituality or faith, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, mental or physi-cal disability (visible and invisible) immigration or family status, and identities arising from these on individuals and communities state of health and well being.”

– People’s Health Equity and Diversity Char-ter: A Framework for Action participants of the “Health Equity and Diversity: Local Realities & International Perspective” Conference Toronto 2005

Poverty the Greatest Health Risk Women Face

Mary Walsh, most famous for co-hosting the satirical news show, This Hour has 22 Minutes, takes a serious turn in a new Canadian doc-umentary “Poor no more”. While the topic is no joke, Walsh’s narra-tion adds a charismatic tone to a film the Globe and Mail called “sur-prisingly upbeat”.

The film follows among others, Vicky Baier, a part-time LCBO ca-shier, who can’t get enough shifts to qualify for benefits that would give her sickness benefits to deal with the treatments for her breast cancer.

While we hear lots of stories to drive home the point that recent economic policies are driving so

many people into our society’s mar-gins, as the title suggests, the film also focuses on how to drive out poverty.

Vicky and Mary travel to Ireland and Sweden and find out about policies of free university education and benefits for part-time workers are part of an enhanced social safety net that has helped both to improve the lives of those living on limited incomes and reduced poverty rates in those countries.

As the film’s synopsis puts it: “If we can’t imagine a world without poverty we probably can’t get there. After a lifetime of conditioning, Ca-nadians have been convinced that the poor will always be with us. So we think in terms of minimal mea-sures – increasing the minimum wage by a minimal amount, or re-ducing the number of children in

poverty by a small percentage. To think otherwise is usually consid-ered unrealistic or fiscally irrespon-sible.”

But as the documentary so aptly asks “They do it, why can’t we?”

The film is definitely a timely contribution to the poverty reduc-tion dialogue in Canada. While the film won’t be showing up in any local Megaplex, the many commu-nity-based groups that financed the film will be showing it in church basements and community centres across the country.

And anyone can order it from their website – and for those who are living on low incomes, they give it away free, if the person pays $5 for the shipping. A movie that walks the talk!

For more information: www.poornomore.ca

Movie Review: Poor No More Sara Mayo

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Book Review: The Story of StuffClaudia Rios

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.10

“Wait here with your brothers”, says Enza’s mother. She gives the child a needle, some blue yarn and a card with a picture of a flower with tiny holes in it. Enza, who is five, looks around the huge building. She sees long lines of tired travellers from the S.S. Georgic with suitcases and crying children. She sits quietly with Mimmo, seven, and Bay, three, pulls her thin sweater around her and begins to sew along the dotted lines. Mummy returns after a long time and says they have to hurry to catch a train. They are going to meet Papa. Papa arrived two months earlier to get a job and a house for his young family.

The train ride is long and uncomfortable. They have to sit all day and all night. Enza is always hungry. A kind man gives Mummy some sandwiches and Enza politely takes one.

Last night she slept on Mummy’s lap beside her little brother Bay, but tonight a man leaves his large trunk between the seats to make a bed for Enza and her broth-ers.

After one more tiring day and night, the exhausted family arrives in Trenton to meet Papa at the station.

“Who’s that?”, Bay asks.“That’s Papa.” No hugs. Just “Hello Papa”. They arrive at their first house on Edward Street on

a beautiful May morning in 1954.They live in four houses that spring and summer.

Enza is happy because she can play with her little brother and the neighbour children. She is happy be-cause Mummy is home. But that will change.

In August the small family moves into their new home with their suitcases, a used table, some chairs and a sofa. Papa will make wooden beds. There is one win-dow, one door and there are two rooms,

“Where is the bathroom?”, Enza asks. “It’s outside.”

Life changes for Enza and her brothers. Mimmo is in charge of her in the early morning and after school and little brother Bay goes to a neighbour, Mrs. Young, all day. Mummy is sad. She goes to work at a shoe fac-tory with Papa. Mummy makes $18.00 a week and Papa makes $32.00. Mimmo doesn’t like being in charge. He doesn’t like walking Enza to school. He and Enza don’t like to eat bread with sugar and hot milk every morn-ing and jam sandwiches at lunch.

Enza is nervous on her first day at school. The teacher asks all of the children to say their father’s first name. She listens to the others.

“Robert. William. John…”. Finally it’s her turn. “David.”, she says. She thinks

the children will laugh if she says Mario, her father’s real name. Her neighbours call them that “Eye” talian family. She doesn’t want to be “Eye” talian. She wants to fit in. Besides, her mother was born in England and Enza speaks perfect English.

After a long frosty winter Papa announces one day,“I have bought a house. We are moving to-day” Enza packs her few clothes, some used toys and

books and waits. Suddenly the wall of the house opens! She begins to understand as she looks down the drive-way that her house is really a garage.

“Come along. There’s a good child.”, says Mummy. Enza climbs into a car with her family and watches to see the garage get smaller and smaller and disappear as the car turns the corner.

Enza and her brothers are excited to go to their new home. Their lives will be better. They have hope. Be-sides, they already speak English.

Enza’s New HomeIsabella Marchese recounts the true story of one families settlement and struggle with poverty in Canada in the 1950s.

LINC level 1+

1. Why is Enza travelling with her whole family except her father?

2. What does Enza learn about her first house?

Discussion: What is the same or different about Enza’s story, and the stories of immigrants to Canada today?

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.11

The Interfaith Social Assis-tance Reform Coalition is cur-rently completing its 2010 Social Audit: A Faith Community As-sessment of the Status of Poverty in Ontario. On April 22 at the Neighbour-to-Neighbour Centre, 20 Hamiltonians shared their ex-periences of living in poverty: what was their journey and what would help them get out of poverty. Carol Wood, Ecumenical Chaplain at McMaster University, was a note-taker at the hearings and wrote the following summary.

We heard many voices and many different perspectives, but a climate of fear was the underlying common denomi-nator. There was fear about los-ing benefits, fear about finding food for themselves and their children, and fear about getting medicine or getting to the doc-tor.

The individuals were articu-late as they recounted various losses – from the loss of status and the ability to be indepen-dent to the loss of self-esteem and the ability to provide win-ter boots for their children. All of the people we met dispelled the ill informed perception that people who live in poverty are lazy. Many of them had been deeply wounded by this harsh, overarching stereotype.

We met individuals whose dreams and hopes have been taken from them by untimely accidents, serious mental and physical illnesses, and by the shrinking availability of manu-facturing jobs. To suddenly be unemployed or unemployable is a scary prospect, but even scarier is the treatment that many had experienced through various agencies.

Some had been yelled at, or over medicated, or intimidated by multiple forms, and infor-mation was withheld. Many were worn down by having to ask over and over again for

assistance, and to justify their need. There were the imper-sonal and repeated requests for information – through auto-mated answering services and computer generated letters.

Everyone was unanimous in affirming that housing is the number one priority. But, on an income of $530 per month, and a modest rent of $350, how can a single adult afford food, trans-portation and basic necessities? The answer is: they can’t! It is impossible, and we have thou-sands of citizens seeking to do the impossible every day, and it is taking a toll on people’s men-tal and physical health.

Many have carefully orches-trated a plan, such as paying $10 a month to eat supper at Salvation Army from April to October, and participating in the Out of the Cold program in the winter. Everyone knew the schedule for food banks and the disappointment of waiting in a line for 2 hours and being told there was no food, or no food that could be eaten if they were lactose intolerant or diabetic.

Individuals reflected on the tough choices they had to make - paying a bill every other month in order to avoid sus-pension of hydro or telephone service. The stress of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” shows up in deeply furrowed brows, in a stilted gait, and in an inability to sit due to intense pain.

As a society, our approach of charity, rather than justice is slowly killing people and rob-bing them of their basic human rights.

While we did hear apprecia-tion for many programs such as Wesley, Good Shepherd, Salva-tion Army and others, the over-all impression of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support is that they need reform.

A fundamental need within the system is respect for oth-

ers. Knowing how hard it is for the majority of people to admit that they need help, we need to make the process less intimidating and less intrusive. Each person has a right to pri-vacy. Surely, if basic informa-tion is collected once, it can be accessed by a support worker. The repeated reminder that a person is on social assistance needs to be minimized and certainly not broadcast, as in the case of a physically chal-lenged person waiting for a cab in front of the hospital and the driver yelling “ODSP?”.

We can do better than this, and we must do better than this. • Individuals who can work,

but who can’t work full time due to health issues, must be assisted in finding work and should not lose their drug card or housing support.

• We need to find ways to change the climate of fear so that people will ask questions and share information. The notion that everything will be taken away discourages individuals from seeking the special diet allowance, or in-quiring about breakfast pro-grams for their children.

• One person said that pov-erty is a full time job. If we have created a system that requires this much effort to navigate, imagine what our community might look like if these efforts are redirected into employment and volun-teering?

• We need to turn our focus from monitoring and setting limits to listening, empower-ing and seeking justice for all citizens. Yes, resources are limited, but we have created a system that encourages in-dividuals to minimize their potential and to stifle creativ-ity. Most of all, our current approach has squelched hope – particularly for younger people. How do we expect a single mother to get out of poverty if we don’t provide child care and support a re-turn to school?

I am so tired of being blamed for being poor, I never planned that I would live in poverty. Not being able to eat a healthy diet is not my idea of a good time. I really do not want to hear case workers tell me that I don't deserve to have any extra money, they don't get any. 'They' don't tell us that their salaries start at around $50,000 a year, I don't get $12,000 and that's with the diet supplement. It galls me that if my CPP dis-ability pension gives me a 12 cent increase ODSP takes it away. What are they afraid of, that I will spend that extra money on some foolish item?

I am so tired of hearing all three levels of government com-plain that they don't have any extra money, then read in the papers and hear on the news that thousands of dollars are be-ing spent on some project or other that benefits a few.

I am tired of hearing of the high pay that the heads of hy-dro, universities, banks and E-Health received last year while we got a 1% raise and lost our special diet supplement. These people get bonuses and benefits that I would love to have.

I am tired of hearing in the news the high costs of social ser-vices to the taxpayer, but no one mentions that most of those costs go right back to the government in covering the adminis-tration costs for OW, ODSP and so on.

I am tired of well meaning people tell me I should have my own home, and shouldn't I have saved money by now? No, not when every cent I get goes into survival.

I am tired of dreaming of a place of my own, and a job where I can make a living wage. If I find one it's a good thing that I don't have to retire at age 65 as I will be 60 this year.

All three levels of government have the money to make our lives easier. They don't have the will or the commitment to do this. So much of it would cost them little or nothing, like put-ting the limit of 'allowable' income up to make it worthwhile to work. Giving back what Mike Harris took from us. Treating us with some respect and dignity. Simple little things like that can and would make a big difference.

We can do better than this.Notes from the Social Audit Hearings: Listening to voices of the poor Carol Wood, Ecumenical Chaplain, McMaster University

“As a society, our approach of charity, rather than justice is slowly killing people and robbing them of their basic human rights.“

LINC level 6

1. What is an example of the plans people make in order to afford necessities?

2. It what ways had the individuals been treated without respect?

Discussion: What do you see as being the key difference between charity and social justice when it comes to alleviating poverty?

Treat us with respect & dignitySandy Leland

LINC level 3+

What are three things that Sandy finds frus-trating? Discussion: What does the goverment do that frustrates you?

When I was younger, my parents would ask us, Do you want to go to the show or to the zoo? or Do you want to go to Niagara Falls or Canada’s Wonderland? The choices that my friends can give their children are, Do you want an apple today or tomorrow? or Do you want to eat breakfast or lunch?.

I saw a commercial recently that asked if we really know what it is we are eating; if our foods are healthy or not. Those almost 100,000 people living in poverty in Hamilton can’t make the choice to eat healthy or not because they often get their food from food banks where the staff chooses the food and can only pick from what more fortunate people don’t want and have donated or that grocery stores can’t sell.

What people really need and want are more opportunities, more choices. In America, poor people were given food stamps that allowed them to buy whatever they wanted at the grocery store. Unfortunately, having to use food stamps also labeled them. Nowadays, it is quite acceptable to have gift cards that can be used to purchase just about anything.

Giving people gift cards instead of outdated or spoiled or unhealthy food at food banks would also increase a person’s self-esteem; they could make their own choices about the food they could buy. And increasing self-esteem is a priority we can all agree on.

Help by increasing self-esteemLynn Aquin

LINC level 2+

1. Why is it hard for people living in poverty to make healthy food choices?

2. What does Lynn suggest instead of the food bank?

Josephine Eric is a graduate of the M.A. program in Work and Society at McMaster University and the mother of 5 children. She is the founder of the Migrant Workers Fam-ily Resource Center, a non-profit, grassroots organization based in Hamilton established in October 2007. It is a network of former domestic workers, current domestic workers and community supporters.

Q. Do female migrant workers face social isolation?Migrant caregivers who come on the live-in caregiver program don’t have a place of their own, they have no public space. Being able to go out is out of the question because their presence in Canada is tied to their employ-er. It is on the mercy of the employer if they can go out. There is really no space for these women to articulate themselves and overcome isolation.

Q. What impacts does isolation have on their physical and mental health?They have they have to be very careful about these is-sues, because they are being assessed as a future citizen of the community. Because of that, the issue of health and their wellbeing is not actually being focused on. In other words, they don’t want to highlight some of these issues because of the fact that Canada is going to assess them. If there’s any indication that they are not positive contributors to the community, specifically to the econo-my, it can be negative for their status in Canada.

Q. What does the Migrant Family Resource Centre do to combat social isolation among female migrant workers?Our vision is that female migrant workers would be able to transition smoothly into the community. The first ob-jectives are to provide a safe space for them that they can be themselves, do activities they like so that they can spend time together with other caregivers and so that they can talk about the issues they are facing together. Our second objective is to work with the existing com-munity organizations so that we can identify services that could provide support for the workers. Our third objective is to advocate for caregivers when they face difficulties.

Q. Tell us about your vision for your safe space.The Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton is helping us in finding a safe space, a building that these women can call their own – not their employer’s space. Then they can say “this is where we belong”.

Q. How do you want to work with other organiza-tions?One of our mandates is to create a network with other service providers. We want to create that network be-cause our group doesn’t want to replicate what’s in the community. We want to work in a bottom up approach with existing service providers, who want to work with us. It is our mandate use the service within the commu-nity. But we need to sit down with organizations because of the confidentiality issues; we want to clarify some things before we do the referrals. Because the experienc-es of caregivers are more complex than other workers,

we want to make sure we have strong relationship before we refer women to them. We also want caregivers to feel comfortable going to those service providers.

Q.What made you decide to devote your energies to this project?I came to Canada as a caregiver myself. I was a nanny. So when I was a caregiver I faced some of the problems that they are facing. For three years we have been keep-ing this centre going on a volunteer basis, no one is paid. If we didn’t believe that this is needed we would have already given up.

Q. You are a very busy woman – how do you make time for this project? What is your advice to women who want to make changes but don’t know how?First of all, they have to know what they believe. There are different ways to help. You just have know to what you like to do and do the part that you like. What sus-tains me is that I like what I’m doing. I feel very grateful for the opportunity to help other newcomers. Because I said to myself if I can save them some of the painful experiences that I have gone through then that is a pay-back for me. Because I have five children I want to cre-ate a community where everybody belongs and they feel comfortable with their heritage. I want them to appreci-ate the multiple cultures that they come from. I want the community to be a safe space for them. We’re creating their future.

For more info or to register call Nabila at 905-529-5209 x261

Sewing Class Level 1 (Basic Sewing Skills): May 26-June 17, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 2:30-4:30 pm. Sew-ing Class Level 2 (Advanced Sewing Skills): June 28-July 2, Mondays & Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 pm. Industrial Sewing Machine Operation: June 28-July 21, Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 2:30-4:30 pm or 3-5 pm. Call Wasan 905-525-9676 x 223.

Time Well Spent: Join us at the Immigrant

Women's Centre!

Next session: May 11-27. Following session: June 8-24. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1 - 3 pm. Call Vivyan at 905-529-5209 x 233.

Drive & build independence: G1 Driving Club

At 8 Main Street East

At 1119 Fennell Ave East # 234June 14-30, Mondays & Wednesdays 12:40-2:40 pm. Call Abir at 905-387-1100 x 230.

At 182 Rebecca StreetJune 7-23, Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 4-6 pm. Call Wasan at 905-525-9676 x 223.

Next Financial Literacy workshop starts June 15. Call Nabila at 905-529-5209 x 261.

Your Money, Your Future!Manage your money in Canada.

Build confidence, Get the job!

I-WORK! Introduction to the labour market workshop. Next 6-week workshop starts June 21. Weekdays, 9 am -12 pm. Call Ashley at 905-529-5209 x 232.

Improve your computer skills!

At 8 Main Street East

At 1119 Fennell Ave East # 234

At 182 Rebecca Street

MS Publisher: May 12-28. Wednesdays & Fridays, 9:30 am-12 pm. QuickBooks: May 17-June 28. Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-4 pm. MS Word: June 9-25. Wednesdays & Fridays, from 9:30 am-12 pm. Call Vivyan at 905-529-5209 x 233.

Microsoft Excel: May 20-June 11, Thursdays & Fridays, 12:40-2:40 pm. Basic Web Design: June 3-25, Thursdays & Fridays, 9:30-11:30 am. Basic Internet: June 7-30, Mondays & Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 am. Call Abir at 905-387-1100 x 230.

Basic Computer Skills: May 12-June 9, Mondays & Wednesdays, 11 am-1 pm. Call Wasan at 905-525-9676.

Learn to Sew! At 182 Rebecca St.

All About Breastfeeding: May 17, 11 am-12 pmSummer Recreation Programs for Families with chil-dren ages 12 and below: May 19, 1 -2 pmConnect with Your Baby: June 30 at 1 pm. Parenting Workshop for Karen Community: July 14th, 21st and 28th, 2010 from 11 am – 12 pm All sessions at 182 Rebecca Street, call Veronica at 905-525-9676

Explore your talents & skills!

Enterprising Women program information session June 3, 11 am-12 pm at 182 Rebecca Street. Program runs June 7-July 2, Monday to Friday, 9 am-12 pm. Call Kiruthiha at 905-529-5209 x 257.

Info sessions for moms at 182 Rebecca St.

Women migrant workers building networks in Hamilton: An interview with Josephine Eric

“If we didn’t believe that this is needed we would have already

given up.”

Josephine Eric, pictured with her son, is working towards finding a space for the Migrant Family Resource Centre - a space migrant workers can call their own.

LINC level 5

1. What is one of Josephine’s objectives?

2. Why do migrant workers often feel like they need to be care-ful about health issues?

Discussion: How are the chal-lenges that migrant workers face different from or similar to those other newcomers face?

Women in Hamilton, Raising our Voices.

Issue 6 • May & June 2010 • p.12