Women are the hardest hit by the housing crisis currently raging in Quebec, as experienced by a Tunisian immigrant who visited around twenty apartments before finding one.
“I met around twenty owners who declined our application because I have three children. I was even asked that my children not run around during the day if I wanted accommodation,” relates Ghazoua Jebali, who immigrated seven months ago from Tunisia with her three children and her husband.
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Upon their arrival in Quebec, in Montreal, it took several weeks of intensive searching for this mother to succeed in finding a roof to put over her head. In the meantime, they found a place to put their bags with friends.
Career veterinarian, Mme Jebali did not hesitate to leave his country, which has been hit hard by the economic crisis since 2011, in the hope of offering better prospects to his three children.
“But for the moment, I have to clean up while being paid $18 an hour because my diplomas are not recognized. It’s very difficult morally,” she explains.
Even more difficult
For Virginie Mikaelian, spokesperson for the Collectif 8 mars, which brings together trade union organizations and feminist community organizations, this example clearly illustrates the challenges that women must face, even more so when they come from immigrant backgrounds.
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“In addition to being women, they have other systemic barriers. Add to that the housing crisis and others, we don’t give them much of a chance in our society,” laments Mme Mikaelian.
“It’s rumbling”
This year, with their slogan “It’s rumbling”, the March 8 Collective hopes to be able to show the urgency of making things happen for the safety of women.
“We are at the height of several crises that threaten to explode, such as the housing crisis, the environmental crisis, the violence crisis. We can no longer wait a month, two months, three months before doing something, women’s lives are in danger,” says M.me Mikaelian.
She also recalls that the average income gap between women and men is still very significant.
“We are still talking about a difference of $8,100. We think that this is an issue that would have already been resolved, but ultimately, no, it is still not resolved in 2024, and it is obviously worse for women at the crossroads of oppression,” adds the spokesperson. of the collective.