Women suffer from increasing unreported sexual harassment in the workplace

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/workplace-sexual-harassment-poll_n_3823671.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Religion and Work

: ILO Online 2012/11 - Decent work and social justice: a spiritual perspective

 Decent work and social justice: a spiritual perspective

 How do different religious traditions view the world of work and can
 they play a part in promoting ILO core values? A new publication
 entitled *Convergences: decent work and social justice in religious
 traditions*, explains the positions of various religious traditions
 regarding social justice and decent work issues. The ILO*s special
 adviser for socio-religious affairs, Pierre Martinot-Lagarde spoke to
 ILO Online.

 http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/press-and-media-centre/insight/WCMS_178125/lang--en/index.htm
 

Obstacles to finding skilled employment for Immigrant Women

A casebook example of systemic discrimination
These results highlight a situation of systemic discrimination brought about by several factors: sex, part of a visible minority group, and of foreign origin. This cross discrimination permeates practices, behaviors, and influential policy makers such as the State, businesses, professional associations, universities and the immigrated family.
Discrimination in the workplace: the concrete ceiling
Discrimination in the workplace can be explicit or implicit i.e. concealed in seemingly objective professional requirements (modern racism and sexism).
Some of the obstacles identified by the study are:

• Difficult to have qualifications and foreign diplomas acknowledged;
• Refusal to hire someone who speaks with a foreign accent, refusal to acknowledge work experience acquired abroad, recruit employees through networks in which immigrants are absent;
• Discourteous remarks made during the average work day, increased overview of work performance, skepticism regarding their true competence, client hostility;
• Overrepresentation in precarious jobs with poor conditions, limited training and opportunities for advancement: telemarketing, small businesses, cleaning.

Adding to the difficulties of finding skilled employment these workers often face insurmountable obstacles juggling the demands of family and work. For instance:

• difficulty finding available daycare;
• imposition of difficult work hours (working nights or weekends);
• long route between work and home.

The Quebec diploma: a guarantee for success?
A diploma acquired in Quebec doesn't necessarily improve the fate of these women. Recent research has shown that acquiring a diploma in the host country has a limited effect on professional integration and the risk of deskilling.

http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/udem-news/news/being-an-immigrant-and-a-woman-two-major-obstacles-to-finding-skilled-employment.html

have you read the article?  Please post your suggestions for how immigrant women can overcome these difficulties before the government get around to changing policies.  How can we use network to help other immigrant women land jobs. 

IMMIGRANT WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE

What are immigrants' experiences of discrimination in the workplace?" Using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC), findings from this report include:

 Visible minority immigrants are more than twice as likely as white immigrants to perceive discrimination when we control for gender, education and fluency in Canada's official languages

 For visible minority immigrants, fluency in English or French increases reports of discrimination in the workplace.

 For white immigrants, fluency in English or French decreases perceived discrimination in the workplace.

 Visible minorities who speak English or French fluently are more likely than white immigrants with comparable language skills to report workplace discrimination.

 Immigrant men are more likely than immigrant women to report discrimination overall and in the workplace.

 Immigrants who report discrimination have less family income and lower job satisfaction than those who do not report discrimination.

 Immigrants with post-secondary education report more workplace discrimination than those with less education. The report and presentation can be downloaded for free from the Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative (TIEDI) York University's website at http://www.yorku.ca/tiedi/pubreports21.html. For more information, please contact tiedi@yorku.ca.

Tips on increasing your power in the workplace

Jeffrey  Pfiffer's  book Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't  recommends a few simple steps you can take to increase your power:

(1)  be visible;

 (2)  emphasize the aspects you're good at;

(3) make those in power feel good about themselves;

 (4) if you must point out a mistake by someone in power, blame the situation or others; and shower those above with flattery.

Bottom line: worry about your relationship with your boss more than you worry about your performance.

It is unfortunate but in this world where some of us allow our egos to run rampant, to ensure that you have a comfortable work experience you might need to adopt some of these measure.   In fact I agree with all these points except number 4.  If you can't speak the truth, don't speak at all. Do not blame anyone. Your boss knows fully well when the mistake is theirs. 

I think it is important for women and especially immigrant women to be conscious of who holds power in the workplace and to not make ruffles with those in power because they have the power to hire and to fire. Unless you are independently wealthy or have another job waiting for you, do what you can to remain neutral and cordial in the workplace.