The Émergence Plus Initiative for Women

The weather these past few weeks has not been kind to Sofifran. The organization had been trying to bring together the various partners involved in the Émergence Plus project, but winter conditions kept upsetting its plans. It was finally on Tuesday, February 12 that Sofifran officially unveiled the logo of this initiative and brought its partners together for a first meeting, albeit by videoconference.

So what is Émergence Plus? The roots of this project on balancing work and family go back to April 2018. The idea was first submitted to Status of Women Canada under the name Sécuriser les femmes du Niagara, and it was accepted a few months later.

With $270,000 in federal funding over three years, Sofifran had a free hand to begin with a study on the challenges immigrant women in the region face when it comes to transportation and child care. With that information in hand, the organization and its partners will then look at the most suitable solutions and develop practices that will not only meet a need in the Peninsula, but could well become a model for other regions.

Beyond geography, the women who stand to benefit also come from many different walks of life. “This is a project for society as a whole,” says Fété Kimpiobi, executive director of Sofifran. “Its results will apply to every woman and every family struggling with this problem.”

Many people will recognize themselves in these difficulties, which are financial as much as logistical. Finding a way to get around that fits the child care centre’s hours as well as a work schedule or postsecondary classes becomes an impossible puzzle. Women often end up giving up their careers to look after their children, which inevitably weakens their financial independence and their professional growth. The situation is even harder for newcomer women, whose status can make it harder to get into the labour market and certain programs.

That is why Sofifran, true to its mandate, decided last year to stand behind these women so that they can not only be made “secure” financially and professionally, as the initiative’s original name suggested, but now also “emerge” into a new life that is more manageable, less stressful and better suited to helping them thrive. The Émergence Plus logo, made up of three butterflies, illustrates that transition.

The February 12 meeting brought together the members of the advisory committee, made up of representatives of the business, political and education sectors across Niagara, as they took their first steps toward shaping strategies. To support the committee in its work, a focus group has been set up, made up of women who have lived or are still living the very problem Sofifran is trying to solve. The circle of participants may be widened depending on needs and opportunities.

“I don’t think we can snap our fingers and find a solution,” Ms. Kimpiobi admits. Still, Émergence Plus is a big step in the right direction.