(Montreal) Immigrant women find themselves more pressured to take jobs below their level of education than the rest of the active population in Quebec, often leading them into more precarious work environments, according to a feminist organization.
The main cause of what is called “deskilling” is the non-recognition of foreign diplomas, points out the Women’s Work Action (ATF).
The organization presented Tuesday morning the conclusions of the project “Countering the systemic effects of the non-recognition of foreign diplomas on immigrant women”, which began in 2021.
The deskilling rate among immigrant women stood at around 45% in 2019, compared to a little less than a third on average for the entire population, according to data from the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Development. ‘Integration. For all immigrants, this rate reached 44.2%.
“Deskilling means occupying a job requiring lower qualifications than those you have. So, being qualified to a certain level, then taking a job that would have required less training,” explained Nina Goualier, research officer at ATF.
As a result, these people face lower wages and impoverishment, she summarized during the review event in Montreal.
Mme Goualier had just painted the portrait of immigrant women in Quebec around six major findings concerning, among other things, language, education and income.
The instigators of the project propose several recommendations aimed at universities and an improvement in the government’s adult education and continuing education policy.