Abstract
This brief, yet current, commentary discusses the way eugenically guided policies, like the Sexual Sterilization Acts in Alberta (1928–1972) and British Columbia (1933–1973), have impacted Indigenous women’s reproductive healthcare in Canada. Indigenous women from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, and Saskatchewan have reported they were coerced into having tubal ligation procedures by their healthcare providers, the most recent account occurring in 2018. These procedures fit the definition of genocide according to the United Nations, and a form of torture as defined by the Criminal Code of Canada. This paper includes an analysis of the legislated and non-legislated policies which aim to control Indigenous women’s reproductive rights and discusses the action the Indigenous community has taken to fight back against racist policies and practices within government and healthcare using activism, storytelling, and a class action lawsuit. The article closes with multilevel recommendations moving forward.
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Clarke, E. Indigenous Women and the Risk of Reproductive Healthcare: Forced Sterilization, Genocide, and Contemporary Population Control. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work 6, 144–147 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-020-00139-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-020-00139-9