Quebec's College of Physicians is introducing new measures aimed at stopping the forced sterilization of Indigenous women, following a 2022 report that found more than 20 such cases in the province since 1980. "We are taking concrete actions to ensure that no woman ever again undergoes sterilization without her knowledge or against her will. We must regain their trust," College president Mauril Gaudreault said in a statement Tuesday announcing the changes.
The College formed a working group in 2022 to come up with recommendations after researchers from the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) documented a wide range of obstetrical violence targeting Indigenous women. Researchers spoke to dozens of women who had been pressured into or misinformed about a series of interventions — from tubal ligations to abortions to hysterectomies. The College announced Thursday it was adopting all the working group's recommendations, including: Adding a preamble to the College's code of ethics prohibiting any discrimination based on culture or identity.
Making cultural safety training mandatory for College auditors and disciplinary investigators. Encouraging all doctors to take this training as of September. Reviewing and improving training for doctors on consent to care.
Suzy Basile, one of the UQAT researchers who also was part of the College's working group, told CBC News in an interview Tuesday that her 2022 report was just the first phase of her research, and that.
