Canadian Indigenous women say they were coerced into sterilizations after giving birth: Globe and Mail

OTTAWA - Several Canadian Indigenous women have told the Senate's human rights committee that they were coerced into receiving sterilization procedures after giving birth at hospitals, the Globe and Mail reported.

Two of three lead plaintiffs in a proposed class action lawsuit on behalf of Indigenous women, who say they were forcibly sterilized in Saskatchewan, told the committee this week about their experiences, according to a report by the newspaper.

One of them, a 49-year-old Cree woman named Sylvia Tuckanow, said she was sterilized against her will after giving birth in July 2001 in Saskatoon. She said she did not sign a consent form and that after her sterilization, she felt like she was not a "complete woman".

Canadian parliamentarians have previously heard expert testimony on forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women. The Senate human rights committee issued a report in 2021 saying the prevalence of forced sterilization is both underreported and underestimated. The report said vulnerable and marginalized groups other than Indigenous women have been affected such as women with disabilities and women in institutions, according to the newspaper.