Testimony of Trauma – Indigenous victims of obstetric and gynecological violence share their stories of abuse

By Natalia Fedosieieva, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation A Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue study released in May documents obstetric and gynecological violence experienced by Indigenous women in Quebec’s healthcare system. Phase I of the study collected 35 testimonies from First Nations women, and was published in November 2022, revealing accounts of forced sterilization and mistreatment during pregnancy and childbirth. Phase II analyzed testimony from 94 First Nations women, including three Cree participants, and identified 55 cases of imposed sterilization and 39 cases of other obstetric and gynecological violence (OGV). The report looked at incidents that took place between 1956 and 2023 involving women aged 15 to 40, that resulted in lasting trauma. UQAT professor Suzy Basile told the Nation the project emerged in 2020 from a conference in…

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.