Commentary
The forced sterilization of women in 21st-century Canada? Is that even possible?
Apparently, it is. According to a 2022 Senate report, Canada has a long history of using sterilization to reduce births in First Nations populations and other marginalized groups.
In June, the federal government responded to these findings by passing Bill S-228 to criminalize sterilization procedures done without consent. Physicians can now be charged with aggravated assault and face penalties of up to 14 years in prison if patients claim they didn’t give valid consent.
It may seem like a logical response to the problem. Except, it isn’t. All it does is place a contentious legal covering over medical interactions between doctor and patient….