Intersectionality in Canada's 'Caregiver Program': The Impact of Race, Class, and Gender on Filipina Women in the 'Global Care Chain'

Authors

Taylor Simsovic, University of TorontoFollow

Keywords

Migration, Gender, Racialization, Filipina, Intersectionality, Globalization

Document Type

Main Theme / Tema Central

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of migrant Filipina caregivers in Canada under the Live-in Caregiver's Program (LCP) and the subsequent Caregivers Program (CP), focusing on the intersecting factors of race, class, and gender. Through a literature review, the study investigates the distinct and precarious position occupied by Filipina migrant caregivers, who face marginalization by the Canadian government. The framework of the 'global care chain' proposed by Aggarwal and Das Gupta (2013) and the concept of the 'international transfer of caretaking' presented by Parreñas (2000) are employed to illuminate the devaluation of 'women's work,' particularly that performed by migrant Filipina and other non-white women. The implications of this research call for comprehensive actions to address the injustices outlined in the paper. It is recommended that the government invest in robust public childcare services, recognize reproductive labor as legitimate work, and grant migrant workers permanent residency status upon arrival, enabling them to assert their labor rights effectively.

Recommended Citation

Simsovic, Taylor (2023) "Intersectionality in Canada's 'Caregiver Program': The Impact of Race, Class, and Gender on Filipina Women in the 'Global Care Chain'," Culture, Society, and Praxis: Vol. 15: No. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/csp/vol15/iss1/3