About the Project

Health Consequences of Gendered Economic Migration: The Case of Undocumented Latin American Workers in Ontario

This CIHR funded project builds on our pilot project that received seed-funding from CIHR in 2007. Preliminary findings from the pilot have informed this project and include: construction work being related to greater social isolation, greater health impact, and substance abuse as a coping mechanism, while cleaning work was related to better working conditions but lower earnings, and women described much richer social networks that promote their well-being. Based on these findings, this project will focus on the impact of social exclusion and working conditions on Latin American undocumented workers performing a variety of occupations in the GTA.

The project will use oral and visual narratives to document the experiences of undocumented migrant workers. By examining the health consequences of undocumented work it is our hope that this project will shed light on alternatives for inclusiveness and will provide in-depth information about this population’s social determinants of health, a subject seldom studied by Canadian health researchers. In the short-term, this project will produce relevant knowledge and information for health and social service professionals working with this vulnerable population, and with the help of our community partners, the long-term goal of this study is to influence and inform public policy.

Please click here to read the full proposal of this research project.