687.5
Women in Indian Immigrant Communities in Canada: A Case Study Among Families of Karnataka Origin
Indira Ramarao, University of Mysore, India
There has been an unprecedented increase in opportunities for migration form India to other parts of the world, especially after the economic liberalization regime set in. Canada is among the countries that are seeing a growing number of Indian immigrants. Even by 2004, Indo-Canadians were the most rapidly growing ethno-cultural population. Though there have been a number of studies on Indian diaspora in Canada, they have concentrated on themes such as issues of culture conflict, adjustment dilemmas and institutional networks. The gendered impact of migration has not formed the main subject of most studies. However, it is important to take up studies on questions of changing gender relations within the family and community, participation of women in public sphere, creation of women’s support networks to address issues of gender based violence.
The paper focuses attention on the shifts that have taken place in the lives of women in families of Karnataka origin in Canada. Such issues as changing nature of role allocation and power sharing in families, inter-generational changes as measured by women’s performance in such areas as education, employment and freedom from violence (physical, cultural and mental) and control over familial resources in Canada and India also need to be addressed. This study is primarily based in Edmonton city in the Alberta Province. Both primary and secondary sources of information would be used in generating the study data.