Labour, Migration and Resistance: The Legacy of INTERCEDE in Domestic Workers Advocacy in 1980s Ontario.
History MA Thesis Defence - Jamila Haruna
Event Details
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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
The History Graduate Program is excited to announce the upcoming MA defence by Jamila Haruna of their thesis entitled Labour, Migration and Resistance: The Legacy of INTERCEDE in Domestic Workers Advocacy in 1980s Ontario.
Committee: David Sheinin (Supervisor), Robert Wright
External Examiner: Susana Miranda
Chair: Finis Dunaway
Abstract
In 1980s Ontario, racialized migrant domestic workers faced systemic exploitation, precarious immigration status and exclusion from labour protections, reinforced by provincial and federal policies that devalued domestic labour. This thesis examines how INTERCEDE, a Toronto-based coalition, challenged these structural inequalities. Employing an intersectional approach, this study reveals how race, gender, immigration status, and class collectively marginalized migrant care workers. Drawing on extensive primary sources, it analyzes INTERCEDE's influence on major policy changes, including reforms to the Foreign Domestic Movement (FDM) program and to provincial labour laws. The thesis argues that while INTERCEDE secured significant, albeit often fragile, victories, these gains highlighted both the power of grassroots activism and the persistent challenges under neoliberal regimes. It contributes to feminist labour history, migration studies, and care work scholarship by demonstrating how organized resistance reshaped Canadian policy and contested institutionalized marginalization.
Contact Info
If you would like to attend, please contact history_ma@trentu.ca for the zoom link