The role of immigrant women in their families’ settlement in Canada

This paper examines the invisible role of immigrant women in their families’ settlement in Canada. The majority of immigrants in Canada are women, whose traditional and newly accepted family roles and duties in the receiving country make a significant contribution to settlement of their husbands and children. This study demonstrates that women’s physical, financial, social and emotional support helps their family members to adapt to the new environment smoother. Newcomer women often delay their own settlement for the sake of their families’ well-being. Studies of immigrant women’s significant contribution to their families’ settlement would allow to develop effective settlement programs to facilitate settlement of whole families.