Members of the Senate human rights committee hold a news conference on Parliament to discuss their report and recommendations aimed at ending forced and coerced sterilization in Canada. Committee chair Salma Ataullahjan is joined by Yvonne Boyer. Michèle Audette, a former member of the committee, also takes part virtually. The report's 13 recommendations include calls for an official apology from the federal government, compensation, and adding a specific offence to the Criminal Code. The committee heard from survivors, advocacy groups, and government officials as it studied the history and scope of the practice, which the report says disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalized groups, including Indigenous, Black and racialized women, and people with disabilities. Cases of forced or coerced sterilization have been reported as recently as 2019.
