| Poverty Reduction - Expanded |
"On the Path to the Eradication of Poverty: South Asian Perspectives"BackgroundResearch conducted by the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) shows that a vast majority (over 70%) of South Asians are immigrants. South Asians are more likely to be employed in full-time temporary work than any other visible minority group. Two-thirds of South Asians in Toronto earn less than $30,000 per year. Over 50% of Bangladeshis, and more than 30% of Pakistanis, Tamils, Sri Lankan’s, and “other South Asians” live below the low-income cut-off. Bangladeshi women earn less than any other ethno-racial group (men or women), with a median income of only $15,600 per year. Racialized communities are experiencing disproportionately more poverty than other communities which manifests itself in the lack of access to decent affordable housing, food, racial profiling and over policing, and lower educational attainment.What we are doingThough many in the South Asian community continue to live in persistent poverty, the community as a whole is largely not engaged in advocacy and community mobilization across the city around these issues. The South Asian voice is often missing from policy and decision making tables. The community is also invisible or silent in the various anti poverty advocacy initiatives across the city.CASSA has formulated a poverty reduction campaign and will work in partnership with local South Asian organizations and communities in order to implement and run the campaigns. These organizations include: • Human Endeavour • Old Age Benefits Forum • Punjabi Community Health Centre • Senior Tamils Association of Ontario • Social Services Network • South Asian Family Support Services • South Asian Women’s Centre • South Asian Women’s Rights Organisation How you can helpOrganizations and individuals are free to take a lead on the campaign or to design their own local campaigns in conjunction with the poverty reduction strategy issues (Health, Housing, Education and Employment). CASSA’s role is to act as a support system to help facilitate the communities’ participation in creating change.In addition, CASSA is also acting as a bridge between the South Asian community and the broader anti poverty movements including: the Colour of Poverty steering committee, 25 in 5 Network, Campaign 2000, Daily Bread Food Bank, A Million Reasons etc ensuring that the South Asian voice and face is no longer invisible from future policy initiatives. If you would like to get more information, get involved or have an idea that you would like to develop to reduce poverty in your community, please contact, Neethan Shan at 416-932 1359 ext 15 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |