Horrific Research in Kanada: Scandalous Treatment of Yerli Women During Childbirth

The first national comprehensive maternal health study conducted across Kanada, led by researchers from British Columbia Üniversitesi, has brought to light shocking results. According to the research, the rates of mistreatment or disrespect towards Yerli women during pregnancy and childbirth processes have reached alarming proportions. While approximately three-quarters of participating Yerli women stated that they experienced varying degrees of disrespect from healthcare personnel, 63% again reported being subjected to direct mistreatment. Experts emphasize that this situation is not limited to just hurting personal feelings; it directly triggers critical medical issues such as maternal deaths and unhealthy birth outcomes. The erosion of women's trust in the healthcare system causes them to hesitate to apply to hospitals in emergencies, consequently paving the way for preventable tragedies.

Among the findings described as 'shocking' by the researchers, there are also grim allegations that would be unthinkable to exist in a modern country. Within the scope of the study, 31 women declared that they were sterilized without their consent (forced sterilization). The fact that five Yerli women are included in this figure was considered proof of systematic discrimination against racial minorities. In fact, it was learned that the research team never planned to measure this data because they did not believe that forced sterilization was still occurring in a country like Kanada. The lead researcher, commenting on the issue, emphasized that this rate should be absolutely zero, revealing how deep a crisis the system is in. Such bitter truths are of great importance in showing how historical oppression against marginalized groups continues today under the guise of modern medicine.

The types of unfair and violent treatment reported by Yerli participants span a wide spectrum and point to a culture of systematic neglect. While approximately 40% of the participants stated that they were neglected by healthcare personnel, a large majority reported being left unattended when they needed help. Nearly half of the women stated that healthcare services were withheld without their consent or forcibly applied, expressing that their medical autonomy was completely stripped away. Additionally, many women reported being scolded, yelled at by staff in delivery rooms, and even subjected to negative, racist comments about their culture or ethnicity. The President of the British Columbia Yerli Kadınlar Derneği shared, as a concrete example of this neglect, the case of a young woman experiencing real labor pains in 2023 who was turned away by hospital staff for not being found credible and was forced to give birth in her car.

This comprehensive study, named RESpcCT (Research Investigating Pregnancy and Birth Stories in Kanada), was conducted by surveying 6,096 individuals who had become pregnant or given birth in the last decade, between 2020 and 2022. In the research conducted by professors and academic communities specializing in the field of midwifery, complex rights such as autonomy and consent were made measurable. Although it is an expected standard for women to feel safe during the birth process, to be informed in medical decisions to be made, and to have their choices respected, it was observed that these opportunities have almost completely disappeared, especially for Yerli women. The results revealed that women who constitute racial minorities, are disabled, are gender-marginalized, or have a history of incarceration similarly lost their autonomy, thereby experiencing much worse birth outcomes. On the other hand, it was determined that in cases where expert midwives were involved in the process, the rate of mistreatment decreased significantly and birth outcomes improved.

Researchers and Yerli community advocates agree that Kanada health authorities must take urgent and radical steps to change this tragic picture. Emphasizing that merely changing procedures will not be sufficient, it was made mandatory to integrate Yerli health practitioners into the system and establish culturally appropriate and sensitive care standards. In the statements where it was reminded that childbirth is a sacred period for many communities, it was stated that it is essential for personnel to be made aware of this spiritual and emotional process. It is expressed that unless respect is shown for the traditional values and family structures of Yerli women, intergenerational trauma and distrust in the system cannot be eliminated. For now, it has also been learned that the Kanada federal government has started to finance some reforms and that this new comprehensive data will be used as a guide to determine exactly and effectively where the funds will be spent.