1. Canadian Public Health Association Halifax, 2008
Caregiving in the Context of Intersecting Inequities: African Nova Scotian Women
Canadian Public Health Association Halifax, 2008
Barbara Clow, PhD
Wanda Thomas Bernard, PhD
Josephine Etowa, PhD

2. Overview Population (s) Project (s)
Race, class, gender and unpaid caregiving
Conclusion

3. Population(s) Description
Indigenous/immigrant
Rural and urban
Diverse
Determinants of health
Nova Scotia has a relatively small population of newcomers from African or Caribbean countries, but it is home to the largest population of indigenous African Canadians in the country
** NOTE re Indigenous
– 2-3% of NS population and 57% of visible minority population
-- 66% of African Nova Scotians live in Halifax while most of the remainder live in communities along the south and west shores
-- 91% of African Canadians living in Halifax are Cdn-born
Diverse population – some have roots in the province dating back to the American revolution – or subsequent waves of immigration in the 18th/19th centuries – some identify as Loyalists and some do not – many have a shared history of slavery and segregation
Lots of intermarriage with Mi’kmaq and Caucasian populations, different religious and cultural beliefs
History of racism and discrimination that continues to this day
With implications for health and well-being – more likely to live in poverty, be unemployed or underemployed, have lower income, levels of education
And we have little data on health status, health care delivery and health care utilization

4. Project(s) Description
Focus groups
Caregiver portraits
Equity reference groups
Two caregiver portraits – both for women of African descent based in Halifax

5. On the Margins Community consultations Questionnaires
Other project I am drawing data from is OTM
3-year CIHR funded project – focused on African NS women and families in communities along south and west shores
-- with 3 main objectives
-- method was PAR -- community facilitators
quantitative and qualitative data collection
237 in-depth interviews
Community consultations
Questionnaires
In-depth interviews

6. Black Women Caregivers
Unpaid caregivers tend to share certain experiences
See added sheets
Women of African descent in Nova Scotia also share specific experiences and perspectives

7. Intersecting inequities and unpaid caregiving

8. Interesting that many participants recognized this situation as untenable –
African NS communities experiencing the same outmigration of youth as other communities in the Atlantic region and same aging as most other populations in Canada, same shift in labour with more women employed outside of the home
So next generation may not be available to look after aging population-- As one participant said, “I keep thinking to myself, I’ve gone through this with all these people but who is there for me?”
Also recognition that the ideal of the strong black woman is a myth –cannot do it all for everyone for always – as women unable to keep up – need to find alternative solutions
A HBRP particpant said she just assumed that her own children will not be able to look after her and she says she thinks that older people in the Black community are increasingly likely to feel comfortable with the idea of a nursing home – but important to note that she has always lived in Halifax, where both family and friends would be nearby to a nursing home
But same sentiments may not be reflected among African NS living in rural and remote communities – where activities and values reflect identity “It has to do with who you are as a people” said one participant – and where lack of and distrust of existing services is deeply entrenched

9. Thank you Gail Jarvis and Fay Cromwell
-- health promotion for African NS women, their families and communities