Social Factors Impacting African Single Parents Trying to Gain Employment in Quebec

Education

The level of education may be used against African immigrants when seeking employment. If there is less formal education, it can play a role in the chance of employment.

Local Job Experience

The jobs most commonly desired by these women may be difficult to entervbecause of the lack of Canadian experience. An example of this would be female doctors from Africa having no experience in Canada; this has been used to overlook them by employers and give consideration to other applicants. This can lead to some of them becoming nurses, and therefore earning less.

Child Care

COVID-19 has resulted in black mothers of children under the age of six not being active in the labor market because they need to take care of their children during the school closures. 76% of these women were active in the labor market compared to non-minority mothers (Langton, 2021).

Language Barriers

Significant issues come from language barriers and the mixture of racism and xenophobia (Afrique au Féminin, 2022) in Quebec’s social policies targeted toward people of color who participate in the non-Christian faith. These limit the acceptance of these women in the workplace and can lead to them not being considered for the job based on how they look.

Resources

Afrique au Féminin. (2022, February 2). Immigration awareness: Helping women find a new life in Quebec: CanadaHelps – donate to any charity in Canada. CanadaHelps. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.canadahelps.org/en/giving-life/immigration-awareness-helping-women-find-a-new-life-in-quebec/

Langton, J. (2021, February 25). Black Canadians suffer higher unemployment and lower wages. Advisor’s Edge. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.advisor.ca/news/economic/black-canadians-suffer-higher-unemployment-and-lower-wages/