CCMW’s Addressing Barriers to Employment for Muslim Women Project is a 3-year project (Jan 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025) funded by WAGE (Department for Women and Gender Equality).
This 36-month project will enable Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) to have a better understanding and response to employment barriers Canadian Muslim women face through quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and development of strategies and tools to address the barriers through the engagement of community partners, employers, and Canadian Muslim women themselves.
This will be achieved by conducting quantitative and qualitative research based on the 2021 census, surveys, focus groups and interviews. CCMW will develop strategies and tools for employers and for Muslim Women which will then be developed into toolkits. The toolkits will be launched at a national employment conference for employers, community partners and Canadian Muslim women. CCMW will offer practical workshops on the developed strategies and toolkits.
At the end of the project, CCMW will create a report based on the quantitative and qualitative analysis, which will include policy recommendations to reduce the barriers Muslim women face in employment.
Project Goals:
Better understand the barriers that Canadian Muslim women face in accessing and sustaining employment, as well as advancing in their careers, through quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Data collection will engage employers in determining challenges they face in recruiting and retaining Muslim women, community partners who provide employment services, and Muslim women themselves.
Develop a toolkit which includes strategies and tools for employers to recruit, retain, develop, and promote Muslim women in Canadian workplaces that are geared specifically to this population.
Develop a toolkit which includes strategies and tools for Muslim women to access employment and advance in their careers.
Hold an employment conference to launch the toolkits and feature workshops to apply strategies and tools included in the toolkits.
Influence public policy to address employment barriers faced by Muslim women.