October 20, 2015 (Ottawa, ON) Rebecca Kudloo, Pauktuutit President, extends sincere congratulations to Mr. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada upon their election to a majority government. ‘On behalf of the Board of Directors and our members, we look forward to working with Prime Minister Trudeau and his new Cabinet on issues of mutual concern and priority,’ Kudloo said.
‘For more than 30 years we have been raising the priorities of our members and communities with multiple governments at every level. Inuit women across Inuit Nunangat, who live in regions with the highest rates of violence in the country, have the same rights as all Canadian women to personal safety and the recognition and protection of those rights by the federal government. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Trudeau and his officials to help develop and implement effective safety measures for Inuit women and children,’ she added.
Pauktuutit addresses a broad range of social and health priorities including physical and mental health and wellbeing. In 2010, Pauktuutit lost an average of $800,000 per year in project funds from Health Canada. These projects addressed maternal/child health including midwifery, early childhood education, FASD, diabetes and injury prevention. ‘There are significant gaps in the health and wellbeing of Inuit and the majority of the population. I am hopeful that we can renew discussions about how to address these health disparities and that this funding will be restored,’ added Kudloo.
An immediate priority will be discussing how Inuit will be equitably included in a potential national inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. ‘I know Mr. Trudeau has a sincere love for the North and for Inuit, and I look forward to being fully consulted on the scope, mandate and equitable inclusion of Inuit, as well as immediate measures that can be implemented on an urgent basis,’ Kudloo concluded.
To request an interview, please contact:
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
613-238-3977
info@pauktuutit.ca