Canadians have been quick to celebrate essential workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few have acknowledged the role of non-status women who are among the cleaners, personal support workers, domestic workers and cashiers who are putting their lives at risk to keep us safe.
Indeed, long before coronavirus entered our lexicon, migrant women living without legal status faced acute social, economic and health risks due to lack of access to healthcare, poor working conditions, employer abuse and exploitation, and the stress of living in constant fear of deportation. The current crisis has only exacerbated these conditions, yet non-status women remain largely invisible in the public health response and emergency support programs.
Gaping holes in Canada’s social safety net
While the Canadian government has introduced new measures to support those facing financial strain from COVID-19, the requirement of a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) excludes undocumented migrants from receiving critical income support. For women who are undocumented, this exclusion exacerbates existing gender inequalities: women are more likely to live in poverty; 80% of lone-parent households are headed by women; and migrant women are more likely to enter Canada as dependents compared to men.
