On International Women’s Day, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada stands with all Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit in celebration and in solidarity. We honour the strength and leadership of Inuit women, past and present. Inuit women’s rights are human rights – they are affirmed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and have been championed by Indigenous women on the world stage since the 1995 Beijing Declaration. Yet these rights remain far from fully realized in Canada.
End Violence Against Inuit Women and Gender-Diverse Inuit: Ending violence against Inuit women, girls, and gender-diverse Inuit is an urgent and ongoing priority. Inuit continue to experience disproportionately high rates of violence, a reality that reflects deep-rooted systemic inequality.
In 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) recognized this crisis as a genocide, calling for immediate and transformative action through its 231 Calls for Justice. These Calls outline the necessary steps to end colonial violence and ensure justice for survivors and families. Yet, meaningful action remains far too slow.
Pauktuutit calls on the Government of Canada to fully and immediately implement the remaining Calls for Justice without delay.
Condemnation of Forced Sterilization – A Colonial Violence: Pauktuutit unequivocally condemns the forced and coerced sterilization of Inuit women. Forced and coerced sterilization has a long and devastating history in Canada that disproportionately affects Inuit women.
The Senate Human Rights Committee has acknowledged Canada’s strategy of subjugation and elimination of Indigenous peoples, and Bill S-250 seeks to criminalize this injustice.
Forced sterilization causes profound harm, denying Inuit women their reproductive rights and perpetuating colonial policies of genocide. Pauktuutit demands accountability, systemic change, and the full recognition of Inuit women’s right to free and informed consent in all healthcare decisions.
Recognizing Indigenous Women’s Leadership – From Beijing to Today: Indigenous women have long been at the forefront of the fight for gender equality, both in Canada and internationally. Nearly thirty years ago, Inuit and other Indigenous women played a crucial role in shaping the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Their leadership helped lay the groundwork for continued advocacy, reinforcing the need for Indigenous voices to be central in shaping policies that impact our rights, safety, and well-being.
That legacy continues today as Inuit women lead efforts to create systemic change. Pauktuutit reaffirms the vision of those leaders: a world with true gender equality, free from violence and discrimination.
Government Responsibility and Commitments to Inuit:
As we mark Beijing +30, Canada has fallen short of its commitments to gender equality, particularly for Inuit women. The Missed Opportunities: Parallel Report on Canada’s Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, coordinated by CRIAW, underscores these gaps.
Pauktuutit was invited to contribute to this report, highlighting the ongoing systemic barriers that Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit face. Despite decades of international commitments, Inuit women continue to experience disproportionate levels violence, denial of access to healthcare, and Inuit women are most acutely impacted by lack of the safe, affordable housing in Canada.
We stand with fellow Indigenous and women’s organizations in holding Canada accountable for its failure to act on the commitments made in Beijing nearly three decades ago.
Today, we reiterate that full implementation of UNDRIP and the MMIWG Calls for Justice are not optional, and we continue to demand the inclusion of Inuit women’s voices at every level.
This International Women’s Day, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada calls for real, measurable action to ensure that Inuit women, girls, and gender-diverse Inuit no longer have to fight for our basic rights.
Canada cannot celebrate progress on gender equality while continuing to ignore the realities Inuit women face. Promises need to be turned into action. We will no longer accept half measures.
For media inquiries, please contact us at communications@pauktuutit.ca
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Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is the national non-profit organization representing all Inuit women in Canada. Its mission is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women and gender-diverse people to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development.