Examining the socio-economic and gendered structure of Canada's Live-In Caregiver Program: A qualitative study of Filipina women's health experiences
Abstract
The primary aim of this critical ethnographic study was to examine how Filipina women in the Canadian live-in caregiver program (LCP) negotiate their own physical and mental well-being while managing the complex health needs of their clients. Using global care chain and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, I also sought to identify how multi-scalar forces including caregiving and migrant policies in Canada and South East Asia exacerbate pre-existing gendered and labour inequities faced by these women. The distressing impact of this precarious form of employment on family dynamics and relationships among family members in the Philippines was also explored. Data collection took place in Canada and the Philippines, including interviews with 16 women who were in the LCP, 10 key informants in the Greater Toronto Area, and 15 key informants in Metro Manila. Findings highlight the complex transnational network of players and conditions involved in the international care economy, including migrant labour brokers, who significantly shape the experiences of migrant care workers upon arrival in host countries. Extended separation from family was often prolonged due to restrictive migrant care worker policies in Canada and around the world. Prolonged separation had significant effects on women’s mental health, including persistent feelings of sadness, burnout, and fatigue, characteristic of depression. Women had mixed feelings about their constrained relationships with their families, yet their perceived responsibilities to their families strongly dictated their decision-making with respect to their work, health, and managing their own daily living needs. These findings contribute critical data with which to develop gender and culturally-appropriate care, programs, and protections to advance the health and safety of these women, who perform essential care work in our country.