More than 60 women from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan have denounced through their Canadian indigenous lawyers’ office, Maurice Law, who were arrested and held against their will to bind or authenticate the tubes as soon as they give birth. They have collected various testimonies of facts explaining how the illegal procedure was done. In one of the experiences, for example, one of the women explained that they refused to see the baby who had just given birth until they allowed her to be sterilized.

In 1973, the practice of forced sterilizations by Canada was terminated, which was legal in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia until the 1970s. However, in 2015, a series of public reports by the newspaper StarPhoenix and the radio chain CBC revealed that forced sterilizations persisted, according to the testimonies of four women, including Betty Ann and Brenda. Due to the hustle and bustle created, the health authorities requested an independent investigation by Manitoba University medical professor Judith Bartlett and Ontario human rights attorney and senator Yvonne Boyer, both of indigenous origin. The report submitted in 2017 clearly indicated that forced sterilizations have been carried out since 1973: They witnessed seven women who were forced to sterilize them between 2005 and 2010 and who, according to the researchers, have been victims of prejudice and discrimination in a system that recognizes the legacy of colonialism.

With the publication of this report, Boyer and Bartlett began to hear from more women with similar experiences. It appears that many more indigenous women were forced to sterilize themselves in the recent past. Proof of this is this latest complaint that shows that until 2017 forced sterilizations have been carried out, as an expression of a violent reality that occurs in secret. Boyer has pointed out that the forced sterilization procedure may be more widespread than is believed.

In the absence of a complaint procedure, Amnesty International has brought the case to the UN for an investigation by the Government of Canada. Jackelin Hanssen, a member of the movement, made it clear: “These practices are carried out for a concrete purpose. It is clear that the goal is to ensure that a group of people does not reproduce.” This week they were going to discuss the matter at the UN Torture Council in Geneva.

Meanwhile, indigenous women continue to demand action on forced sterilizations and stress the need for accountability.