SAWRO

05/26/2026

Happying this Thursday!

The problem isn’t public health care. The problem is that the Ford government is defunding & dismantling our public hospitals and other services in order to privatize them.

Please come out and share this as widely as possible. Ontarians are coming in on VIA and GO trains from all over the province to join the giant march and protest.

THURSDAY, MAY 28: at 12 pm noon, we will gather outside Union Station for a rally then march to Queen's Park for a giant protest outside the Ontario Legislature. Groups will be joining in along the way.

05/19/2026

What is a 'womens' issue? What is a 'mothers' or 'parents' issue?

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, community members gathered to attend our annual Mother's Day Celebration. We began the event by discussing the most pressing issues faced by mothers, parents, and caregivers in our community. Community members were loud and clear -- everything. From employment/precarious work, housing, immigration, health, and gender-based violence -- our community mothers and caregivers are struggling to build safe, dignified lives in Canada. At the root of all the challenges we are fighting on a day-to-day basis is the worsening economic/social inequalities and decision-making processes that leaves out our communities most vulnerable.

SAWIS will contine to stand with community mothers and work with community partners to continuously advocate for policies and programs that reflect the real needs of our communities -- including accessible childcare, living wages, dignified working conditions, physical/mental health supports, and stronger social safety nets (including responsive income support programs, housing, women's services, etc.).

We extend our gratitude to community women and youth who led and participated in the discussion and cultural performances. We also thank our community partners and local representatives whom we stand with shoulder-to-shoulder to fight for equitable policies/programs.

04/27/2026

On Sunday, April 26, 2026, SAWIS organized an information session on Bill C-12 and other changes to immigration and refugee-related programs and policies. This information session was to ensure that community members had the necessary information to understand how Bill C-12 and other similar decision-making across all levels of government will impact community members, regardless of their immigration status.

Bill C-12 is one of the many legislations passed at the federal, provincial, and municipal level that heightens the vulnerability and insecurity faced by immigrant and other marginalized groups. Rather than strengthening the safety nets for people navigating these multiple and compounding crises, our communities are blamed and targeted -- all while social and economic crises continue to deepen in our communities because of cuts, privatization, and policies that restrict rights and access in Canada.

Our conversations with legal representatives from South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario and Law LLP aimed to provide urgent information on strategies to respond to their own immigration-related concerns, and how we can collectively address the growing anti-immigrant and anti-democratic decision-making in Canadian politics.

Recording of the session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrQJWAei3Ks

Presentation slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Twx4GIsroCaRi32ILWIyLEgS76Nv3TOt/view?usp=sharing

(Edits were made to correct this description)

04/16/2026

Canada Summer Jobs Announcement!

SAWIS is hiring youth ages 15-30 as a part of the Employment and Social Development Canada's Summer Jobs Program. If you are interested, check out the postings using the link below!

If you are interested in other CSJ opportunities across Toronto, check out Job Bank's website!

SAWIS CSJ 2026: https://dwjobnet.wordpress.com/2026/04/16/sawis-is-hiring-csj-2026/

All Summer Jobs posting across Canada: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/youth

Dear community members, SAWIS will be hiring five (5) youth to work with us for the summer! Through the Employment and Social Development Canada’s Summer Jobs program, SAWIS will be recruiting yout…

04/06/2026

সম্প্রতি Bill C-12 পাস হওয়ার পর, আমাদের কমিউনিটির অনেক মানুষ নতুন পরিবর্তনগুলো নিয়ে অনেক অনিশ্চয়তা ও দুশ্চিন্তার মধ্যে রয়েছে।

Bill C-2 হিসেবে প্রথম প্রস্তাব হওয়ার পর থেকেই, SAWIS আমাদের কমিউনিটির সাথে কাজ করে এই কঠোর ইমিগ্রেশন পরিবর্তনের বিরুদ্ধে কথা বলে আসছে। এই নতুন পরিবর্তনগুলো একটি বিপজ্জনক দৃষ্টান্ত তৈরি করছে, যেখানে ‘জনস্বার্থ’কে ভুলভাবে অভিবাসীদের অধিকার ও কানাডায় তাদের থাকার সাথে যুক্ত করা হচ্ছে।

COVID-19 সময়ে, মিডিয়া ও সরকারের অনেক আলোচনায় ভুলভাবে অভিবাসনকে জীবনযাত্রার খরচ ও অন্যান্য সামাজিক সমস্যার সাথে যুক্ত করা হয়েছে। অথচ এই সমস্যাগুলো অনেক আগে থেকেই ছিল, এবং অভিবাসীরাই এর সবচেয়ে বেশি প্রভাব ভোগ করেছে।

আমাদের কমিউনিটির সাথে কাজ চালিয়ে যাওয়ার প্রতিশ্রুতি দিচ্ছে, যাতে এই পরিবর্তনের কারণে প্রভাবিত পরিবারগুলোকে কীভাবে সহায়তা করা যায়। আমরা শীঘ্রই একটি কমিউনিটি ফোরামের ঘোষণা করব, যাতে সবাই Bill C-12 সম্পর্কে সঠিক ও নির্ভরযোগ্য তথ্য পায় এবং পরবর্তী পদক্ষেপ বুঝতে পারে।

Bill C-12 সম্পর্কে আমাদের ইংরেজি ও বাংলা বিবৃতি আমাদের ওয়েবসাইটে এখন পাওয়া যাচ্ছে—অনুগ্রহ করে দেখে নিন।

Statement on the adoption of Bill C-12: A new era of fighting for belonging and rights in Canada April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by SAWRO April 6, 2026 About SAWIS South Asian Women’s and Immigrants’ Services (SAWIS) is a community-based, women-led organization delivering services and social programs...

04/06/2026

With the recent passing of Bill C12, many in our community are faced with immense uncertainty and anxiety around the new changes.

Since its initial introduction as Bill C2, SAWIS has been working with our communities to stand up and speak out against these draconian immigration reforms. These new changes set a dangerous precedent in that falsely equates the ‘public interest’ with im/migrants rights and belonging in Canada.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, media and government discourses at all levels incorrectly conflate immigration with the real affordability and compounding social crises, despite these problems existing for decades and migrants bearing the brunt of the crises.

SAWIS affirms its commitment to continue work with our community members to see how we can support families affected by the new changes. We will soon announce a community forum to ensure that community members are equipped with reliable and accurate information about Bill C12 and how to move forward.

Please see our English and Bangla Statement on Bill C-12 that is now available on our website:

Statement on the adoption of Bill C-12: A new era of fighting for belonging and rights in Canada April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by SAWRO April 6, 2026 About SAWIS South Asian Women’s and Immigrants’ Services (SAWIS) is a community-based, women-led organization delivering services and social programs...

04/06/2026

Dear Community members,

The University of Toronto, in partnership with South Asian Women and Immigrants’ Services (SAWIS/SAWRO), is conducting an important research study focused on the experiences of racialized immigrant women.

This study aims to better understand: Employment conditions, social support networks, and experiences with SAWIS services

Who Can Participate?
You are invited to take part if you: Identify as a racialized immigrant woman, are 18 years of age or older, and have received services from SAWIS within the past 12 months

Why Participate?
By sharing your experiences, you can help improve services and support systems for immigrant women in our communities.

Take the Survey
The survey is short and completed online.
Survey link: bit.ly/4s6LQgO