The UN Committee Against Torture says it’s concerned about “extensive forced or coerced sterilization” of Indigenous women and girls in Canada, including recent cases in Saskatchewan.
The committee says Canada must ensure all allegations are impartially investigated and that those responsible are held accountable.
It also says the state needs to take legislative and policy measures to stop women from being sterilized against their will.
The committee’s report comes as groups including the Assembly of First Nations sound the alarm about an ongoing human-rights violation in Canada.
Amnesty International Canada has called on the federal government to appoint a special representative to hear from Indigenous women coerced into being sterilized to learn what justice would look like for survivors.
A proposed class-action lawsuit is also underway listing the Saskatoon Health Authority, the provincial government, the federal government and a handful of medical professionals as defendants.
Read more: Examine ‘monstrous’ allegations of forced sterilization of Indigenous women: NDP
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The Canadian Press
