The right to say no

On November 24, 2022, researcher Suzy Basile, of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, presented a first study conducted with the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission. In it, First Nations and Inuit women describe undergoing tubal ligation or hysterectomy without free and informed consent: pressure, no other options, language barriers, missing forms.

On June 10, 2026, a second report broadened the picture. In all, 132 testimonies were collected, including 77 cases of forced sterilization. The experiences of obstetric and gynecological violence reported span 1956 to 2023. The most recent case of forced sterilization documented in Quebec dates from 2019. The two reports put forward 48 recommendations.

The problem goes beyond Quebec: in July 2022, a Canadian Senate committee recommended an apology and compensation for those affected across the country. But what changes things, first of all, is the courage of these women who agreed to speak. Their words, gathered with care and made public, turn consent into a matter of shared respect.