For immediate release
“He touched me and there was nothing I could do”
Women without immigration status want to be able to file a complaint against their employers
QUEBEC CITY, October 25, 2021 – Harassed and threatened by a co-worker for several weeks to the point of contemplating ending her life, Nina had no choice but to quit her job to put an end to the sexual violence she was experiencing. Like many women without immigration status, her employer took advantage of her vulnerability to abuse her.
The women’s committee of the Association des travailleuses et travailleurs d’agence de placement (ATTAP) and their allies will hold a rally in front of the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité Sociale (MTESS) in Quebec City on Monday, October 25 at 1:00 p.m. to demand that complaints to the CNESST be handled regardless of the worker’s immigration status.
Currently, women without immigration status face numerous obstacles when they wish to file a complaint with the CNESST, notably for psychological and sexual harassment. There is nothing to protect them from employer reprisals. As a result, they can be reported to the authorities and deported before their case is even heard in court.
“I was so scared. I cried every night when I got home from work. My daughter, who was a teenager at the time, finally convinced me to leave. I couldn’t do anything else,” confesses Nina. Viviana Médina, community organizer at the Immigrant Workers’ Center, explains, “When employers are aware of women’s status, they take advantage of the fact that these people can’t file a complaint in order to circumvent the laws with impunity.”
About: In 2019, the ATTAP Women’s Committee launched the Nous avons de la valeur, nous avons des droits campaign, and together we are fighting for our cause, which aims to improve the working conditions of non-status women. We demand that the CNESST stop asking for the status of complainants and recognize the specific difficulties linked to the absence of status when they testify.
What: A rally with several speakers, including:
- Nina, worker and member of the ATTAP women’s committee
- Lian, PINAY
- Name to be confirmed, Movement against rape and incest
- Samira Jasmin, Solidarité sans frontière
- Julia, worker and member of the ATTAP women’s committee
- Christina, Committee for Human Rights in Latin America (CDHAL)
- Sadeqa, Women of diverse origins
- Mohamed Barry, Guineans united for status
- Abdelkader Belaouni, Center for Immigrant Workers
Where: Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, 425, rue Jacques-Parizeau, Quebec City
When: Monday, October 25, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
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