Structural Racism against Indigenous People in Canadian Law Enforcement

“That hand is not the color of yours, but if I prick it, the blood will flow, and I shall feel pain. The blood is of the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a Man.”

– Ponca Chief, Standing Bear

In Canada, the Indigenous community faces ongoing challenges of discrimination and mistreatment at the hands of law enforcement agencies, particularly at the hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). individuals of Indigenous background are disproportionately targeted and victimized, with alarming rates of incarceration and incidents of police brutality as a result of the systemic biases deeply ingrained within the police system. As public scrutiny intensifies, calls for police accountability and systemic reform continue to gain momentum, highlighting the urgent need to address the inequalities embedded within the Canadian policing system.

The Indigenous community is arbitrarily targeted and victimized by the RCMP, likely due to negative stereotypes of criminality held by the individual officers. Evidence suggests that police are more likely to convict Indigenous people of crimes. For example, Indigenous people are vastly overrepresented in a wide spectrum of police-reported crimes, encompassing various categories such as both violent and non-violent crimes, as well as any other criminal activities for which charges may be levied. In 2018, police stations catering to mainly non-Indigenous populations reported six times less crimes than stations catering to primarily Indigenous populations (Allen, 2020).

Additionally, although Indigenous people make up only 5% of Canada’s population, 30.4% of the population in federal prisons is Indigenous (Government of Canada, 2020). According to Yellowhead Institute, this disproportionality can be attributed to “carceral redlining.” Carceral Redlining is a practice where “red lines [are] drawn around certain communities” which are then “criminalized and targeted for incarceration” (Numata, 2020). Hence, the increased likelihood of Indigenous people getting formally charged may be attributed to implicit biases which are weaponized against them by law enforcement. Not only are Indigenous people criminalised more often, but they are also more likely to be victims of police brutality.

To illustrate, people of Indigenous descent are disproportionately involved in police-related deaths. Specifically, one third of those shot by RCMP were of Indigenous background (Mercer, Fiddler, & Walsh, 2020). Indigenous women are also reported to have experienced various violent behaviours during interactions with police officers, including physical and sexual assault . According to Farida Deif, “a presumption that [Indigenous women] are engaged in criminal behaviour” escalates to “more excessive use of force” by the police (Buller, Audette, Eyolfson, & Robinson, 2019). In numerous cases, the RCMP have been held accountable for their actions by the general public. This has become evident in how unwarranted instances of brutality by police have led to protests demanding action against the perpetrating officers.

As the system fails to demand liability from officers that conduct themselves unjustly towards the Indigenous community, the people have stepped forward to demand justice for victims of tragic encounters with the police force. Following the summer of 2020, which saw a significant revitalisation of the Black Lives Matter campaign as protests erupted across the United States of America (USA) following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, nationwide discussions on the topic of unwarranted police brutality towards minority groups were initiated  (Johnson, 2020). As the USA began to uncover and confront the dark realities of its criminal justice system, Canadians also started to scrutinize the shortcomings  of their own law enforcement, as seen by public outcries for justice in instances of police brutality in the same year.

In 2020, Chantel Moore, an Indigenous woman, was shot to death by an Edmundston Police Force officer on June 4, 2020. The police officer had been called to her premises to perform a wellness check. Rather than using non-lethal force to subdue Moore, the officer almost immediately resorted to violence by firing at her, an action that drew public criticism and outrage. (Magee, 2020). In response to Moore’s murder, protests took place nationwide across Canada in hopes of advocating for justice on behalf of not just Moore, but all Indigenous peoples who had found themselves victimized by the law enforcement system (McKeen, 2020).

“Chantel Moore’s mother Martha Martin, centre, participates in a healing walk from the Madawaska Malaseet reserve to Edmundston’s town square honour Moore in Edmundston, N.B. on Saturday June 13, 2020. Chantel Moore was a 26-year-old Indigenous woman who was fatally shot by police in Edmundston on June 4.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

Unfortunately, the justice system is still yet to prevail for Moore, as the police officer was not charged with any crime, nor was his license ever revoked (Kelly, 2020), but that is not to say that the protests have had no impact. Bill 49, a legislation that sought to give emergency powers to the police forces of New Brunswick, was withdrawn following the death of Moore as government officials realised the potential misuse of the bill by perpetrators of systemic racism (Poitras, 2020). Upon reflection of Moore’s case, where out-of-province agencies were employed due to a lack of institutionalised force in the province, New Brunswick also belatedly instituted a provincial police oversight agency in 2023 (MacKinnon, 2023).

Politicians were once again compelled to recognize the presence of systemic racism in Canadian police forces when a video depicting the aggressive assault of chief Allan Adam by an RCMP officer went viral on the internet (Porter & Bilefsky, 2020). Canadians used social media to express their outrage at the instance, including all three leaders of major federal political parties in Canada (Porter & Bilefsky, 2020). Despite the initial dismissal of this instance of police brutality by the RCMP, the widespread circulation of the video prompted the organization to launch an investigation into the altercation (Porter & Bilefsky, 2020). While it is amazing that the Canadian public continues to utilize their voice to hold law enforcement responsible for their actions, ultimately, it should be the system that ensures safety and justice for the Indigenous people.

In order to ensure that Indigenous people feel protected and safe in our society, certain steps must be taken to reform the law enforcement systems. For one, police systems must be subject to some form of accountability for their actions. Certain provinces, such as P.E.I., lack their own provincial police oversight agency (Mercer, Ross, & Flatt, 2020). Police oversight agencies are responsible for investigating any cases of misconduct committed by police officials (Government of Alberta), and are thus a necessary tool to ensure the liability of police forces. Therefore, a third party agency must be established in each province and territory as a provincial police oversight agency to conduct external investigations into the performance of the police forces, certifying responsibility on behalf of the police.

Additionally, resources and funding typically allocated to law enforcement should be redirected towards community services. According to Yellowhead Institute, “inequalities are resolved” by “investing in housing, healthcare, and education”, as improving these aspects of society will decrease crime rates  (Numata, 2020). In regards to funding allocated to police services, police should be required to be transparent about the use of the money. For example, Calgary Police is not required to specify how their budget is spent to the city (Kinney, 2020). This lack of transparency from law enforcement creates distrust and should be amended. Canada also needs to increase transparency by making data on police brutality available to the public. Sociologist Akwasi Owusu-Bempah says that data suppression is rampant in Canada when it comes to statistics about policing and judicial systems in correlation to race, and a “reluctance to release that information” stems from a need to “shield the organizations and institutions from allegations of racial bias and other forms of discrimination” (Taddese, 2020).

In order to combat police brutality against Indigenous people and the systemic racism rampant in our law enforcement system, measures must be taken to reform the Canadian policing system.

Indigenous communities in Canada are often subjected to unjust victimization through  police brutality as a result of preconceived biases and prejudices held by many officers. As a society, Canadians are starting to confront the systemic racism that fuels these acts by demanding for accountability to be displayed by law enforcement. However, to truly ensure responsibility on behalf of the police force, major reforms must take place to transform police systems and societal structures in order to solve the inequalities perpetuated by the system.

Works Cited:

Allen, M. (2020, November 18). Crime reported by police serving areas where the majority of the population is Indigenous, 2018. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00013-eng.htm 

Buller, M., Audette, M., Eyolfson, B., & Robinson, Q. (2019). Reclaiming power and place: The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Vancouver, BC: National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1a-1.pdf

Campbell K. (2022) P.E.I. police review report includes call for civilian oversight. Retrieved February 29, 2024 from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-police-services-review-report-1.6345538

Government of Canada, O. (2020, January 21). Indigenous People in Federal Custody Surpasses 30% – Correctional Investigator Issues Statement and Challenge – Office of the Correctional Investigator. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/cnt/comm/press/press20200121-eng.aspx

Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Policing and police oversight. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.alberta.ca/policing-police-oversight.aspx

Johnson, D. (2020, June 30). The George Floyd uprising has brought us hope. Now we must turn protest to policy. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/30/black-lives-matter-protests-voting-policy-change

Korzinski, D. (2020, October 12). Defend or Defund? One-in-four support cutting local police budgets; most back social welfare over hiring more cops. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from http://angusreid.org/rcmp-systemic-racism-indigenous/print

Kelly, A. (2020, November 28). Mother of Chantel Moore seeks answers, change after son’s suicide. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/mother-of-chantel-moore-seeks-answers-change-after-son-s-suicide-1.5208361

MacKinnon B. (2023, Nov 24). Independent police watchdog agency opens N.B. office in Fredericton. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-serious-incident-response-team-police-watchdog-fredericton-nova-scotia-1.7037590

Magee, S. (2020, June 06). Investigation of shooting death of Chantel Moore could take months | CBC News. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/chantel-moore-police-shooting-investigation-1.5599715

McKeen, A. (2020, June 12). Chantel Moore’s death deserves ‘same kind of reaction as George Floyd,’ Indigenous leader says. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/12/chantel-moores-death-deserves-same-kind-of-reaction-as-george-floyd-indigenous-leader-says.html

Mercer, G., Fiddler, W., & Walsh, M. (2020, June 05). N.B. police shooting of Indigenous woman sparks outrage across Canada. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-nb-police-shooting-of-indigenous-woman-sparks-outrage-across-canada/

Mercer, G., Ross, J., & Flatt, J. (2020, June 15). RCMP killings of Indigenous people intensify calls for police reform. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-rcmp-killings-of-indigenous-people-intensify-calls-for-police-reform/

Numata, Y. (2020, July 08). Carceral Redlining: White Supremacy is a Weapon of Mass Incarceration for Indigenous and Black Peoples in Canada. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://yellowheadinstitute.org/resources/carceral-redlining-white-supremacy-the-incarceration-for-indigenous-and-black-peoples/

Poitras, J. (2020, June 15). Higgs scraps legislation to increase emergency powers of government and police | CBC News. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blaine-higgs-bill-police-power-emergency-1.5612774

Porter, C., & Bilefsky, D. (2020, June 12). Video of Arrest of Indigenous Leader Shocks Canada. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/canada/Allan-Adam-athabasca-police.html

Taddese, Y. (2020, June 12). ‘Shielding’ race-based data in policing allows for wilful ignorance of systemic racism, prof says | CBC Radio. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/cops-gets-cancelled-race-based-data-in-policing-reckoning-at-bon-appetit-j-k-rowling-bruce-lee-and-more-1.5607756/shielding-race-based-data-in-policing-allows-for-wilful-ignorance-of-systemic-racism-prof-says-1.5607777?__vfz=medium

Written by: Manat Sidhu

Edited by: Lhezel De Quina

Kashmir and Palestine: A Tale of Two Occupied Lands

“India and Israel are changing our world, and maybe changing parts of the world,” was a statement said by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Local Kashmiris have been seeing just this- change, but for the worse, since the election of India’s Right-Wing, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). From increased military encroachment, to internet blackouts and disappearance of journalists, the situation mirrors the decades-long fight that Palestinians know all too well.  

What is Kashmir?

Kashmir is one of the most disputed areas in the world. Kashmir is situated between three powerful countries- Pakistan, India and China, with each fighting for  dominance and land, with little to no consideration for indigenous Kashmiris. For years, Kashmir has been used as a battleground between India and Pakistan, with a total of three wars being fought over the land of Kashmir.

This gruesome history has ties to the British colonization of the subcontinent, beginning with the end of British rule in 1947. During this time, the land that is now known as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh was an array of provinces. The British hastily divided the country into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, with the remaining states given autonomy to choose either. Kashmir, however, was a unique case; it possessed a large Muslim population,  but was headed by a Hindu maharajah who decided to remain neutral. Kashmiri’s, fearing that their ruler would join India, rebelled alongside armed Pakistani tribesmen. In fear, the Kashmiri ruler turned to India for military aid, on the condition that Kashmir would join India. This allegiance officially began the first Indo-Pak war in 1947.

The UN later established a ceasefire in June 1949 to end the first war, with the condition that the Kashmiri people would be given the opportunity to vote for either an independent state, or the joining of the two nations. Both Pakistan and India initially agreed to hold this vote, however, neither of the two countries held their end of the bargain, and the vote was never called. Over the years, the Kashmiri land has been continuously fought over, and is currently divided into Pakistan occupied Azad Kashmir, India occupied Jammu and Kashmir (J and K), and China occupied Aksai Chin. 

What has been happening?

The main area of recent contention has been the state of Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP Party revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution. This article granted the state partial autonomy and its own constitution.

“For us Kashmiris, the special status was not just a legal issue but the question of our identity, our existence,” says Muhammad Numan, a 45-year-old businessman

Al Jazeera

Since the revoking,  a domicile law has been introduced which allows anyone in India to buy land in Jammu Kashmir, as well as to construct new housing. There have been hints of India’s plan to settle a large number of newcomers to the area to change the Muslim majority demographic. This is paired with a rule that people who fled Kashmir for Pakistan following the Jammu Massacre of 1947 will be unable to return to their homeland. 

A similar conflict is present in Palestine, where policies of settler colonialism are also utilized.  For Palestinians, 1948 marked the year of The Nakba, otherwise known as The Catastrophe. During this year, 750 000 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homeland. Since then, Israel has continued to encourage Israelis to move to the West Bank, to form a settler colony, despite settler colonialism being illegal according to the fourth Geneva convention. Settler colonialism is a distinct type of colonialism where “invasion is a structure not an event,” (Wolfe 388). Settler colonialism is precisely what India is attempting to do under the guise of “integrating” Kashmir into the rest of India by modernizing it and building a “naya Kashmir,” or a “new Kashmir.”

Kashmir and Palestine

The bloody and tumultuous history of both Palestinians and Kashmiris has long been overlooked, with the two nations, despite being separated by miles of land, having numerous parallels. Their respective oppressors, India and Israel, have had a long shared diplomatic relationship, with India being Israel’s largest export for weapons trade. Al Jazeera, notes that “Indian police forces have been receiving training in Israel for ‘anti-terror’ operations,” similar to those Israel conducts against Palestinians, highlighting that this alliance goes far deeper. The pretense of fighting “terrorism,” is a message shared by both Israeli and Indian officials to justify military presence and civilian fatalities in Palestine and Kashmir, respectively.

There have been multiple reports of the Indian military in Kashmir taking in civilians for questioning and using illegal and inhumane methods of gaining information about anti-Indian rebels. The area has been highly militarized with 50 000 soldiers in the area, meaning that for every 25 civilians there is a single soldier (Al Jazeera). This has been paired with widespread murder, torture, rape, and violence by Indian officers based in Kashmir. It was reported by Human Rights Watch that 50 000 people have been killed from 1989 to 2006, with there being over 8000 cases of state-created disappearances. However, it’s impossible for action to be taken due to India’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This act grants army personnel special immunity that protects their actions from being labeled as human rights violations, putting these officers above the law.

India often mentions the murder of Kashmiri Pandits (Kashmiri Hindus) in the area as justification for the enforcing of the act, and excessive militarization, claiming that it’s necessary in order to control terrorist groups. Although the history and treatment of Kashmiri Pandits is a devastating one, it is often weaponized and used as a defense against the issue of Kashmir self-determination.

Zionism and Hindutva

The parallels in Palestine and Kashmir are noticeable, especially to the government officials who suppress them. Modi’s government has gone to great lengths to demonstrate their support for Netenyahu’s government. This has included voting against a ceasefire in Gaza during the UN Assembly. Their support led to an all out ban of support for the Palestinian people from Kashmiris, with large policing outside of Srinigar’s Grand Mosque to suspend any pro-Palestian rhetoric. This severe pushback from the government could be due to fear that similar protests could occur in Kashmir.

The ideological similarities between both right-wing governments further strengthens the parallels between Zionism and Hindutva. Zionism is the belief that Judaism is a nationality as well as a religion, and that Jews have a right to a state in their “ancestral homeland.” From 1975 to 1991 Zionism was labeled “a form of racism and racial discrimination,” by the UN due to its exclusionary nature, as it allows any Jew in the world Israeli citizenship and rights, while the same privilege is not granted to Palestians who live in the area. The Zionist rhetoric is inherently a colonialist practice, and this evident in the actions taken by the current government. This belief is quite similar to that of Hindutva, a form of Hindu nationalism which has become more widespread with Modi’s leadership of the BJP party.

Both Zionism and Hindutva were created as a response to major tragedies incurred upon the respective groups. Zionism, following the tragedy of the Holocaust, and Hindutva developing after years of colonial rule by the British and Mughal dynasty with the hope of forming an independent state. However, Hindu nationalism has been used as a political tool to gain support from the Hindu majority population of India, especially by the BJP which was formed from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization which Modi was a member of. Although constitutionally, India is a secular state, the BJP is known to pass religiously divisive laws that continuously target the minorities in India. Muslims have especially been subjected to this. In  2022, the BJP banned the hijab in educational institutions in the state of Karnataka.

As well as Muslims, Sikhs are another group that have faced widespread discrimination resulting in riots, death and other injustices, because they are deemed a threat to Hindu nationalism due to having their own distinct cultural identity. TIME calls this India’s “cynical nationalist playbook: demonize minorities to galvanize the Hindu majority,” a cycle proven by their treatment of Muslims in Kashmir and Sikhs in Punjab.

Economic Impacts

Jammu Kashmir has been subjugated to continuous economic exploitation under Indian administration. India itself, and many large corporations, have been profiting at the expense of local Kashmiris. In 2015, The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) was accused of exploiting J and K’s water supply in an effort to gain a very small percentage of royalty, despite being a major contributor. Furthermore, since the abrogation of Article 370, large companies from all over India are able to mine in Kashmir while the local firms are unable to compete due to lack of compensation and aid to local businesses, thus jeopardizing the livelihood of many small local communities.

The BJP refuses to see the devastations they have caused in the region, opting to place blame on the increased tourism in the area. Locals refuse to believe this and say that these apparent industries that they are showcasing are dying at the hands of the BJP due to increased surveillance and an inability to support locals in Kashmir. 26% of civilians in India-occupied Kashmir endure food deprivation, and 47% lack proper sanitation, all while the state refuses to do anything.

Addressing These Issues

The devastations in Kashmir and Palestine need far more attention and awareness. A large issue surrounding these conflicts is the lack of unbiased journalism and media, and refusal to interview impacted citizens. For instance, the narrative around Kashmir often comes from Pakistani or Indian sources with their own personal agendas. Similarly, Western media tends to portray Palestine as a terrorist state, neglecting to highlight the plight of the millions of innocent displaced civilians in the state. These areas serve as a reminder of our responsibility to deconstruct narratives established by the media and to conduct independent research to better understand global affairs.

Written by: Ouswa Ali

Edited by: Manat Sidhu

Works Cited

“Are India’s Policies in Kashmir Colonialism in Disguise?” Youtube, uploaded by Trt World, 5 September 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLtbE-FRuLY.

Beauchamp, Zack. “What Is Zionism?” Vox, Vox, 20 Nov. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080010/zionism-israel-palestine.

Ellis-Peterson, Hannah. “What Is Hindu Nationalism and How Does It Relate to Trouble in Leicester?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Sept. 2022, www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/what-is-hindu-nationalism-and-who-are-the-rss.

Haque, Saad. “Everything to Know about Poverty in Kashmir.” The Borgen Project, 21 Mar. 2023, borgenproject.org/about-poverty-in-kashmir/.

“India Army Accused of ‘torture and Custodial Killing’ of Kashmir Civilians.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 24 Dec. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/24/anger-in-kashmir-after-indian-army-accused-of-killing-civilians-in-custody.

“India: Impunity Fuels Conflict in Jammu and Kashmir.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020, www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/12/india-impunity-fuels-conflict-jammu-and-kashmir.

“India’s Kashmir Clampdown Continues Four Years after Article 370 Abrogated.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 5 Aug. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/5/indias-kashmir-clampdown-continues-four-years-after-article-370-abrogated.

Kumara, Kranti. “Modi Government Bans All Expressions of Solidarity with Palestine in Indian-Held Kashmir.” World Socialist Web Site, 30 Nov. 2023, www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/12/01/hnzt-d01.html.

Osuri, Goldi. “Kashmir and Palestine: The Story of Two Occupations.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 24 Aug. 2016, www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2016/8/24/kashmir-and-palestine-the-story-of-two-occupations.

Patrick Wolfe (2006) Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native, Journal of Genocide Research, 8:4, 387-409, DOI: 10.1080/14623520601056240

Singh, Simran Jeet, and Gunisha Kaur. “Why India Is Targeting Sikhs at Home and around the World.” Time, Time, 5 Dec. 2023, time.com/6342873/india-sikhs-persecution/.

“Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at His Meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Gov.Ii, 5 July 2017, www.gov.il/en/departments.

Wani, Maknoon. “Kashmir and the Rise of Settler Colonialism.” Himal Southasian, 1 Sept. 2020, http://www.himalmag.com/comment/kashmir-and-the-rise-of-settler-colonialism-2020. 

Addressing the Silent Crisis: Battling Childhood Malnutrition in the Philippines

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines malnourishment as a deficiency, or excess in nutrient intake. Malnourishment can manifest in different forms, including undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies (World Health Organization, “Malnutrition”). Undernutrition refers to nutrient deficiency and remains a significant concern among children in the Philippines. Children from poor families often struggle to access food that is high in nutritional value.  This malnutrition, or inability to access certain foods and the nutrients they provide, severely affects their physical and cognitive development. Malnutrition may result in: impaired brain development, increased susceptibility to diseases, and stunted growth. Stunting, or stunted growth, stems from undernutrition and is defined by a low height-for-age or children being too short for their age.

Malnutrition is an issue that plagues various countries indiscriminately, regardless of international, social and economic standing. The Philippines is an example of a country that has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, noting an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4% (Mbuya et al., Undernutrition in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming). Despite this economic progress, there persists a high poverty rate, documented by Poverty Statistics conducted in 2023. The statistics reveal that 25 million Filipinos continue to struggle with poverty, with their per capita income still falling short of meeting basic needs.

For instance, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), demonstrates the lowest levels of human development and living standards. These living conditions can primarily be attributed to armed conflict between the Government of the Philippines (GPH), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). This four-decade-long armed conflict has resulted in marginalized communities where groups experience social, political, or economic exclusions, which limit their access to food or fair labour wages. Additionally, cultural norms impose further limitations, particularly on women’s socio-political engagement and livelihood opportunities. These forms of gender-based discrimination often result in limited utilization and access to essential social services (World Food Programme). 

How Geography Contributes to Food Scarcity

The Philippines is an archipelago and is prone to several natural disasters, including: typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and droughts. It is ranked third amongst all countries with the highest disaster risks worldwide (World Economic Forum 2018). The occurrence of these natural disasters has adversely affected both agricultural and fisheries production, leading to a reduction in the availability of food. Consequently, this has resulted in fluctuations in food prices and consumption (Duante et al. 2015).

Stunted Growth Due to Undernutrition

Currently, rice is the primary dietary component of Filipinos, however, it is often accompanied with low levels of variety in their protein intake. Although rice is relatively cheap and readily available in the country, a diet consisting of rice, as well as animal protein, fruits and vegetables proves to be expensive. The cost of food, as well as its delivery, proves to be a challenge for many households, with high transport costs especially playing a large role in the unaffordability of food for both rural and urban consumers. The incredibly high food costs can be attributed to the fact that the country consists of many islands, and this therefore makes transportation and logistics more challenging. National Nutrition Council (NN) estimates that as of July 2023, a family of five requires a minimum daily budget of at least ₱1, 212.650 ($28.04 CAD), with the costs being higher for households with pregnant women and children (Rappler 2023). 

The Philippines is ranked fifth among countries in the East Asia and Pacific region with the highest prevalence of stunted children. It is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas according to 2019’s Expanded National Nutrition Survey (FNRI 2019).

Despite robust economic growth and increased health budgets, there is minimal initiative from the government to reduce the prevalence of stunting among Filipino children.

Often, Filipino households rely on intervention from either local or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as the United Nations and World Bank. 

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of stunting, yet there are various factors that contribute to malnutrition, and thus inadvertently cause stunting. Most significantly, poverty deprives households, and therefore children, of proper access to nutrition-rich foods. As a result, parents will tend to opt for cheaper, less nutritious alternatives. Many Filipino children in poverty consume more rice than recommended, with little to no protein, fruits, or vegetables. Additionally, Filipinos living in poverty may have limited access to healthcare facilities, which affects proper diagnosis and treatment of issues that contribute to undernutrition. In 2019, around 23% of pregnant women were “nutritionally at risk,” as a result of inadequate maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy (World Bank 2021).

Hidden Hunger

The World Bank defines “hidden hunger,” or unrecognizable deficiencies as another form of malnutrition, that results from micronutrient deficiencies in iron, Vitamin A, folic acid, and iodine. These deficiencies can occur in diets that are energy-dense but nutrient-poor. Anemia is a type of “hidden hunger” caused by iron deficiency, which results in a decrease in the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. In the Philippines, the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) shows that 38% of infants from 6-11 months old, and 26% of infants from 12-23 months old were anemic. The very high rates of anemia among infants and young children were due to an insufficient amount of iron in breast milk. This issue highlighted the importance of encouraging pregnant women to seek prenatal and postnatal care to ensure that appropriate care, and needed supplements can be provided in a timely manner. But more importantly, these resources should be accessible and readily available.

Investing in Food Security and Nutrition Builds the Future of a Nation

There have been several interventions to try and battle child malnutrition in the Philippines. Many local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have organized various feeding programs that are either school-based, or held in smaller areas. Projects, such as the Philippines Multisectoral Nutrition Project, funded by the Department of Health, United Nations, and World Bank, aims to support the access of nutrition and health care services to reduce stunting in young children. UNICEF, in partnership with the United Kingdom government has provided ready-to-eat therapeutic food in Datu Salibo town, and Maguindanao province. This was done with the goal of providing awareness among families, by providing information on  how malnutrition develops, and what can be done to prevent it. Immunization, distribution of hygiene kits, as well as counseling on breastfeeding and postnatal care were also conducted. The World Food Programme also provides ready-to-eat food to children from 6 months to 5 years old, and to pregnant and nursing women in areas affected by conflict. Overall, such interventions work towards ensuring that every Filipino child is not only healthy and well-nourished, but also empowered to achieve their utmost potential in terms of growth and learning.

Work Cited

Duante, Charmaine, Carmina Cuarteros, Glen Gironella, Eldridge Ferrer, Cecilia Acuin, and

Mario Capanzana. 2015. “Impacts of Climate Shocks on Caloric Intake of Filipinos.” Food

and Nutrition Institute, Department of Science and Technology, United Nations Food and

Agriculture Organization, Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-br337e.pdf.

Gumaru, Michael. “8th National Nutrition Survey.” FNRI Website, www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php/nutrition-statistic/19-nutrition-statistic/118-8th-national-nutrition-survey.

G, Herbie. “Nutrition Council Sounds Alarm over Skyrocketing Healthy Diet Costs.” Rappler, 4 July 2023, www.rappler.com/nation/national-news/national-nutrition-council-sounds-alarm-health-diet-costs/.

Ortega, Jude. “Saving Children from Malnutrition.” http://www.unicef.org, 27 Sept. 2021, www.unicef.org/philippines/stories/saving-children-malnutrition.

Mbuya, Nkosinathi, et al. Undernutrition in the Philippines: Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming. 25 May 2021.

“New Project Supports Campaign against Malnutrition in the Philippines.” World Bank, 22 June 2022,www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/06/22/new-project-supports-campaign-against-malnutrition-in-ph.

World Economic Forum. 2018. The Global Risks Report 2018, 3d ed. Geneva: World Economic Forum
World Food Programme. “Philippines | World Food Programme.” wfp.org, 8 Aug. 2019, www.wfp.org/countries/philippines

Resources

World Food Program (Donation and more info.): https://www.wfp.org/

Philippines Multisecterol Nutrition Project: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/671151655916778864/philippines-multisectoral-nutrition-project

World Vision (sponsorship/donation): https://donate.worldvision.ca/collections/sponsorships?country=philippines?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=childsponsorship-fy23&mc=4568358&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAv8SsBhC7ARIsALIkVT005YAbp9EUc4tfWllfbS9CnZCUfCZQ8ukFocMXeVL-KPt4KuIhQHEaAkkhEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Save the Children (donation): https://donate.savethechildren.org.ph/campaign/hopefortheirfuture/

Our World in Data; stunting (extra information): https://ourworldindata.org/stunting-definition#:~:text=A%20child%20is%20defined%20as,can%20persist%20throughout%20someone’s%20life.

World Health Organization; malnutrition (extra information): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition

Written by: Lhezel De Quina

Edited by: Salamat Ibrahim

The Impacts of War on Civilians: A Case Study on Tigray

TW: This article contains information that circles around sexual violence and war crimes including starvation and killing

“The biggest road block to action on genocide and other human rights crimes is ignorance. Most people just don’t know that such things are happening, and often, if they have a vague idea they are happening, there is a feeling that there is nothing that can be done to stop these crimes.”

John Prendergast

Humanitarian Crises

The global surge of humanitarian crises has cast a dark, harrowing shadow of enduring suffering upon innocent people within war-torn regions. The consequences of war on civilians are dehumanizing, as they often leave civilians suffering from physical and mental traumas with a severe lack of medical support. Regardless of the country where these conflicts may occur, there are always lasting effects that cause harm to those involved.

One region that has faced immense devastation as a result of war and is yet to receive the proper acknowledgement from international communities is a region of Ethiopia called Tigray. There have been a multitude of reported war crimes committed in Tigray over the years that have, and continue to be, swept under the rug by authorities, this, accompanied by an immense lack of international advocacy, has created an increasingly difficult situation for the citizens of Tigray. Reports show evidence of war crimes such as civilian massacres, starvation, SGBV (sexual and gender-based violence), and forced displacements, which have left millions to suffer the consequences.

With the severity of these crimes, one has to question what will be done to stop countries from committing these acts against innocent civilians, especially acts that are as destructive as the effects of a 3-year war and the circumstances it continues to foster. The situation has escalated and continues to escalate to the point that it has left an estimated 600,000 people killed (Naranjo). In Tigray, the urgent demand for accountability and international intervention is crucial for reconciliation and trust from the victims. The mediation of humanitarian crises such as those happening in Tigray, is necessary to achieve adherence to human rights within not only Tigray but internationally.

The Tigray Region

The conflict in the Northern Tigray region of Ethiopia started on November 4th, 2020, following tensions between the federal Government of Ethiopia and the regional Government of Tigray. Conflict ensued as the Ethiopian Armed Forces (ENDF), along with allies such as the neighbouring Eritrean armed forces (EDF) and regional Amhara militias (ASF), began mobilizing troops into the northern region (Jazeera). Since the conflict’s onset, Tigrayans have been systematically executed, subjected to gender-based violence, and denied access to fundamental services such as food and water. Transportation in and out of Tigray has also been restricted, making it almost impossible to obtain up-to-date information on the true extent of the war’s damage (“Confronting Ethiopia’s Abusive Siege”).

After two years of what some experts call the deadliest war of the 21st century, a ceasefire agreement was signed on November 2nd, 2022. The terms, which included the removal of Eritrean troops from Tigrayan land and the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs), remain unfulfilled one year later, breaking the promise of lasting peace for the people of Tigray (“Broken Promises: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence before and after the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Tigray, Ethiopia – PHR”).

Targeting Civilians

Mass killings, widespread pillaging, and indiscriminate shelling have been carried out during the war by all sides against civilians, leaving families to endure severe psychological and physical damage. (“Ethiopia: Civilians Again Mired in Intractable and Deadly War, Human Rights Council Hears”). Eritrean (EDF) and Ethiopian armed forces (ENDF), along with Amhara militias (ASF), have committed horrific atrocities, including massacres and extrajudicial executions of ethnic Tigrayans indiscriminately of age and gender.(“THE THREE HORSEMEN of the WAR in TIGRAY: MASS KILLINGS, SEXUAL VIOLENCE and STARVATION” the TIGRAY INQUIRY Inquiry into the Atrocities in Tigray since November 2020 Conducted by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Law, Justice and Accountability).

One of the many massacres by the Eritrean forces (EDF) took place in the city of Axum, just weeks after the onset of the conflict: as explained by numerous eyewitnesses and victims, Eritrean soldiers were seen killing thousands of fleeing civilians and conducting house-to-house raids, executing mostly men and boys.  A civilian described the aftermath stating that:

“on every corner, there was a body.”

(“Eritrean Troops Massacre Hundreds of Civilians in Axum, Ethiopia”). However, it is crucial to note that the atrocities committed were not purely one-sided. Tigrayan forces were also reported to have committed executions against ethnic Amhara, Afar, and Eritrean civilians (“Ethiopia: Mass Killings Continue, Risk of Further ‘Large-Scale’ Atrocities”).

Forcible Displacement

The ramifications of the war, such as forcible displacement, are incredibly shocking. Since the war started, over two million ethnic Tigrayans displaced from their homes, pushing over 50,000 refugees into Sudan (Reuters). This has separated families and created a constant state of uncertainty within civilians as they worry about the well-being and whereabouts of loved ones. In western Tigray, evidence of “ethnic cleansing” is documented in a 2021 joint report from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The report indicates that hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans have been forcibly expelled from the western territory by Ethiopian and Amhara forces through threats, forcible removal, and a campaign of violence (“‘We Will Erase You from This Land’”).

Ethnic cleansing continues to be a concern internationally, this is echoed in the devastating conflict in Palestine, in which Israeli armed forces forced over 1.7 million civilians (“‘This Must Stop,’ UN Chief Says as Deaths, Displacement Ripple across Gaza”) to relocate toward southern Gaza after providing only a 24-hour warning before initial military attacks on the area (“Israel Must Rescind Evacuation Order for Northern Gaza and Comply with International Law: UN Expert”). Regardless of forewarning, forcible displacement is recognized as a war crime, and as such, demands urgent cessation and condemnation from international governing bodies, actions that have not been taken for Tigray or Palestine.

Loss of Infrastructure

The destruction of infrastructure and the use of schools as military bases highlight the challenges of escaping conflict, as forces from all sides have caused mass destruction of homes, schools, and religious sites that civilians would normally use to seek refuge in conflicts such as this (“Ethiopia: Tigray’s Cities Fill with Displaced People in Need of Aid | MSF”). Due to education facilities suffered significant damage, with schools, furniture, textbooks, and laboratory equipment destroyed, “over 1.4 million school children” were forced out of school for four years (Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs). The intersection of the pandemic and ongoing conflict has only served to prolong these challenges as 2, 492 schools have closed since March 2020 (UNICEF), rendering children incapable of receiving formal education. While some of the schools are slowly reopening, the profound impacts of the conflict on education are clear and long-lasting.

Man-made Famine

The blocking of humanitarian aid and systematic destruction of agriculture have left an estimated 86% (4.6 million people) facing food insecurity in Tigray, in contrast to pre-conflict numbers, where an estimated 93% of people said they had no or little experience of hunger (“Tigray: Emergency Food Security Assessment | World Food Programme”). Once a region capable of sustaining itself, Tigray now faces severe food insecurity as Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Amhara forces, along with their allies, have pillaged shops, hospitals, banks, cattle, and crops, leaving the region dependent on aid. Accessing regions ravaged by war, however, poses a formidable challenge for aid organizations, as a siege obstructing the flow of aid stands in the way (“Confronting Ethiopia’s Abusive Siege”). This has led to famine-like conditions for millions of Tigrayans, with effects extending to surrounding regions in Ethiopia, where an estimated 9 million people across Ethiopia’s Amhara, Afar and Tigray regions lack access to adequate food (“Ethiopia Refugee Crisis: Aid, Statistics and News | USA for UNHCR”).

4 months following the establishment of a “ceasefire” agreement, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Tigray was halted as Ethiopian and allied forces engaged in looting the aid meant for suffering civilians. Humanitarian groups suspended their operations, asserting that the scarcity of food in Tigray was a direct consequence of the Ethiopian Government’s obstruction of humanitarian aid and manpower, including land convoys and air access. (Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: US accuses Abiy’s government of blocking aid). Tragically, this ultimately led to starvation, as about 1,400 deaths have been due to hunger since late 2022. (Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Deaths from starvation after aid halted – official).

Widespread sexual and gender-based violence

During the conflict in Tigray, widespread sexual and gender-based violence inflicted physical and psychological trauma on survivors. Numerous reports detail horrific instances of sexual and gender-based violence, predominately targeting Tigrayan women and girls, perpetrated by Eritrean forces, Ethiopian national forces, and Amhara militias, with one survivor expressing:

“I don’t know if they realized I was a person.“

(“Ethiopia: ‘I Don’t Know If They Realized I Was a Person’: Rape and Sexual Violence in the Conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia – Amnesty International”). The International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), in its most recent report, highlighted the widespread and systematic perpetration of sexual violence across all zones and phases of the war in Tigray (Human Rights Council Fifty-Fourth Session Comprehensive Investigative Findings and Legal Determinations International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia). According to a study on war-related sexual and gender-based violence within the northern region, within the first eight months of the war, 43.3% of women experienced at least one type of gender-based violence. Sexual violence accounted for 9.7%, with 82% of those cases involving rape. (Fisseha et al., 2023). Moreover, the survivors face immense challenges in seeking medical support due to the war, with 70% of hospitals and medical centres either destroyed or non-functional, access to medicine to treat sexually transmitted diseases and the delivery of essential aid for survivors becomes difficult (Gesesew et al., 2021).

Communication blackouts

The communication blackouts obscure much of the devastation brought by conflict, leaving critical information uncovered. The use of collective punishment, a strategy employed in conflicts to punish a group of people through the actions of one or more individuals, is evident through the utilization of methods like communication blackouts and information flow restrictions. These measures not only prevent reporting of human rights violations but also silence the victims who endure the suffering.

Recently, communication blackouts have been used in Palestine by the Israeli Government by restricting fuel to the region, affecting emergency responses, humanitarian efforts, and contact with loved ones inside and outside Gaza (“Gaza: Communications Blackout Imminent due to Fuel Shortage”). Similarly, in the Tigray conflict, such tactics have been employed by the Ethiopian federal Government leading to the world’s longest uninterrupted shutdown. (‘No timeline’ for restoring internet to Tigray: Ethiopia minister) As connectivity has not fully been restored to Tigray and Palestine, reliance on local news agencies, journalists, and the international community is crucial to ensure the stories of victims are heard.

The importance of addressing these issues

Addressing the impact of war on civilians is essential for protecting and upholding human rights and holding those who violate them accountable. Even though formal fighting in Tigray has ceased, independent investigations and international awareness are essential to bringing justice to the victims who are suffering from the destructive effects of the war. The Tigray conflict serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating toll of conflict on innocent lives, amplifying the importance of global action to prevent further atrocities not only in Tigray but around the world. This urgency calls for the need to end the cycle of violence against civilians and ensure human rights are not just acknowledged, but respected.

While there are countless reports and evidence of horrific atrocities against the people of Tigray, this article is only the tip of the iceberg. Tigray needs your help to bring action and attention to the victims of these abuses.

Resources:

Donate to Refugees (Ethiopia): https://give.unhcr.ca/page/71470/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=SEM23_ETHP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CA_PS_EN_EE&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7QwkMCdhwHR3hNFxUGw_4_LCmdOwfOIQwiU_3myaLFwtvBfnohk1RsPcaAllAEALw_wcB

Urgent Relief Donation (Gaza): https://secure.unicef.ca/page/137694/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=23DIEM08GSE&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7QwlhyD_AQ7KFi-Np9xZ4-TLbwekaxmKo7jfbtuP6Ua7HJM9qKsmvMIEaAm2tEALw_wcB

Petition To the UN for Tigray: https://omnatigray.org/category/omna-campaings/petitions/

Food Donation: https://www.wfp.org/support-us/stories/food-assistance?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11625191487&utm_content=160318517464&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7Qwn3ZNWtC2iQu5xWSRT2oJ1oB1UHT71boIiz2gtoVeYIbGO57OTVCKwaAmOiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Further Information:

Sexual Violence as a weapon of war: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/devastating-use-sexual-violence-weapon-war

War Crimes: https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/war-crimes.shtml

References:

Jazeera, Al. “‘No Timeline’ for Restoring Internet to Tigray: Ethiopia Minister.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 30 Nov. 2022, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/30/no-timeline-for-restoring-internet-to-tigray-ethiopia-minister. 

“Gaza: Communications Blackout Imminent due to Fuel Shortage.” Human Rights Watch, 16 Nov. 2023, http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/15/gaza-communications-blackout-imminent-due-fuel-shortage. 

Human Rights Council Fifty-Fourth Session Comprehensive Investigative Findings and Legal Determinations International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/chreetiopia/a-hrc-54-crp-3.pdf.

“Ethiopia: ‘I Don’t Know If They Realized I Was a Person’: Rape and Sexual Violence in the Conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia – Amnesty International.” Amnesty International, 25 Aug. 2021, http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/4569/2021/en/. 

Mekelle, in. “Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis: Deaths from Starvation after Aid Halted – Official.” Bbc.com, BBC News, 18 Aug. 2023, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66540039. 

News, BBC. “Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis: US Accuses Abiy’s Government of Blocking Aid.” Bbc.com, BBC News, 20 Aug. 2021, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58279442. 

“Ethiopia Refugee Crisis: Aid, Statistics and News | USA for UNHCR.” Unrefugees.org, 2023, http://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/ethiopia/. 

“Confronting Ethiopia’s Abusive Siege.” Human Rights Watch, 31 Aug. 2022, http://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/31/confronting-ethiopias-abusive-siege. 

“Tigray: Emergency Food Security Assessment | World Food Programme.” Wfp.org, 21 Mar. 2022, http://www.wfp.org/publications/tigray-emergency-food-security-assessment. 

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs. http://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/media/4111/file/UNICEF%20Ethiopia%20Tigray%20Humanitarian%20Situation%20Report%20No.%203.pdf.

“Ethiopia: Tigray’s Cities Fill with Displaced People in Need of Aid | MSF.” MĂ©decins sans FrontiĂšres (MSF) International, 2021, http://www.msf.org/ethiopia-tigray%E2%80%99s-cities-fill-displaced-people-need-aid. 

“Israel Must Rescind Evacuation Order for Northern Gaza and Comply with International Law: UN Expert.” OHCHR, 2023, http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/israel-must-rescind-evacuation-order-northern-gaza-and-comply-international. 

“‘This Must Stop,’ UN Chief Says as Deaths, Displacement Ripple across Gaza.” UN News, 19 Nov. 2023, news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143762. 

“‘We Will Erase You from This Land.’” Human Rights Watch, 6 Apr. 2022, http://www.hrw.org/report/2022/04/06/we-will-erase-you-land/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-ethiopias#7024.

Reuters. “Over 2 Million People Displaced by Conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region – Local Official.” Reuters, 6 Jan. 2021, http://www.reuters.com/world/over-2-million-people-displaced-by-conflict-ethiopias-tigray-region-local-2021-01-06/.

“Ethiopia: Mass Killings Continue, Risk of Further ‘Large-Scale’ Atrocities.” UN News, 18 Sept. 2023, news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140872#:~:text=The%20latest%20report%20from%20the%20International%20Commission%20of,and%20medical%20facilities%2C%20forced%20displacement%20and%20arbitrary%20detention. 

“Eritrean Troops Massacre Hundreds of Civilians in Axum, Ethiopia.” Amnesty International, 26 Feb. 2021, http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/02/ethiopia-eritrean-troops-massacre-of-hundreds-of-axum-civilians-may-amount-to-crime-against-humanity/. 

“THE THREE HORSEMEN of the WAR in TIGRAY: MASS KILLINGS, SEXUAL VIOLENCE and STARVATION” the TIGRAY INQUIRY Inquiry into the Atrocities in Tigray since November 2020 Conducted by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Law, Justice and Accountability. 2023, genocideresponse.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tigray-Report_29-September-2023.pdf.

“Ethiopia: Civilians Again Mired in Intractable and Deadly War, Human Rights Council Hears.” UN News, 22 Sept. 2022, news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127481. 

“Broken Promises: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence before and after the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Tigray, Ethiopia – PHR.” PHR, 27 Nov. 2023, phr.org/our-work/resources/medical-records-sexual-violence-tigray-ethiopia/. 

“Confronting Ethiopia’s Abusive Siege.” Human Rights Watch, 31 Aug. 2022, http://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/31/confronting-ethiopias-abusive-siege. 

Jazeera, Al. “Two Years of Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict: A Timeline.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 10 Nov. 2022, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/10/two-years-of-ethiopias-tigray-conflict-a-timeline. Naranjo, JosĂ©. “Ethiopia’s Forgotten War Is the Deadliest of the 21st Century, with around 600,000 Civilian Deaths.” EL PAÍS English, 27 Jan. 2023, english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-27/ethiopias-forgotten-war-is-the-deadliest-of-the-21st-century-with-around-600000-civilian-deaths.html.

On Gender: The Route to Equality in a Unipolar World

In over 300 thousand years, science and technology have progressed at a rate that stands to define itself. However, the topic of gender equality still raises the question of whether, as a society, we have moved at all. Legalities in most countries would argue for the same judgment and treatment of both sexes, but reality depends on the actual implementation of the system that we have created for ourselves. To what extent are the laws that govern the world being upheld? The same laws that root down to the foundations of liberty—the same foundations that countries have been established over? Although discrimination is not something we can actively measure, the numbers in terms of wage, exploitation, and education, to use the common expression, “speak for themselves”—and they speak loudly.

Gender Differences 

In 2023, the United Nations reported that “On average, women in the labor market still earn 23 percent less than men globally and
spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work” (“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”). And compared to 1 in 10 boys, almost a quarter of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are neither employed nor engaged in education (“Gender Equality”). Additionally, “worldwide, nearly half of married women [still] lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights” (“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”) despite the continuous evolvement we’ve experienced in terms of life expectancy and literacy of women. In 2023, the United Nations reported that “On average, women in the labor market still earn 23 percent less than men globally and
spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work” (“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”). And compared to 1 in 10 boys, almost a quarter of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are neither employed nor engaged in education (“Gender Equality”). Additionally, “worldwide, nearly half of married women [still] lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights” (“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”) despite the continuous evolvement we’ve experienced in terms of life expectancy and literacy of women. This increased literacy is consistent with the fact that the number of girls out of school in the latter is estimated  at 32 million for primary education, 30 million for lower secondary education, and 67 million for upper secondary, a huge improvement from 65 million, 52 million, and 91 million in 1995, respectively (“Gender Equality”). Moreover, switching from the more economic side to social rights, UNICEF documents that gender norms and sexual exploitation are still prevalent to a startling degree where “35 per cent of women between 15-49 years of age have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.” These norms, moreover, go beyond just the social setting in various countries, in that they are ingrained within their laws, legislation, and even justice systems which often lack consideration for girls’ rights; these examples include policies which prevent women from, for instance, inheriting land and owning property. However, this very ideology, that is often meant to benefit men, simultaneously harms them. This detriment to men, especially boys, lies in the societal expectations placed on them regarding military conscription, child labor, and violence. At the rate that the world is currently going: 

“…it will take an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments” (“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”). 

The irony of this situation is that while we expect equality to be at a closer reach than it was a while back, it has worsened substantially since this claim was made, with events, like COViD-19, only further amplifying the inequality. However, this very ideolog of gender inequality, that is often meant to benefit men, simultaneously harms them. This detriment to men, especially boys, lies in the societal expectations placed on them regarding military conscription, child labor, and violence.

The Gender Pay Gap and Economic Inequalities

The differences in pay between women and men cannot automatically be attributed to gender discrimination as it could be based on a wide range of possibilities such as experience and education, among a number of others (Ortiz-Ospina and Roser). Although, “both discrimination and inequality are important
they are not one and the same” and that is why the gender pay gap is a direct measure of gender inequality, rather than gender discrimination. While in most countries women earn less than men, the gap can also exist as otherwise: if it is negative, the value suggests that this situation is flipped, such that men are earning less than women. Based on 2016 reports, countries such as South Korea, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Brazil, Pakistan had positive gender pay gaps and others, including Turkey, Argentina, and Malaysia had negative ones. Within a more generalized global reach, regions with the highest gender parity were Western Europe at 77.6 % and North America at 76.4 %; ones with the lowest included South Asia at 62.3 % and the Middle East & North Africa at 60.9 % (“Gender Equality by Country 2023”). 

Apart from the gender pay gap, other forms of economic inequalities also exist between men and women throughout the world, with regards to assets and land ownership. Ortiz-Ospina and Roser state that: “In nearly all low and middle-income countries with data, men are more likely to own land than women” and the same can be said in the case of inheritance rights, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East.

Progression in Canada

In Canada, “Of all women aged 20 to 54 who were not attending school full time, 68% were employed full time in 2021, up from 65% in 2007 and 55% in 1997” whereas the ratio for men stayed around 81 %; it is important to note that although the percentage of full time working women continues to rise, it is at a rate slower than those of previous decades (Drolet). This is further evident by the fact that while the gender gap in employment may have decreased from 25 % in 1997 to 13 % in 2022, this was due to the growing rate of employment for women, and the stagnation of Male employment rather than any actual improvement.

However, this inequality doesn’t only exist between the genders, even within women, there exists an inequality in employment based on ethnicity where Canadian-born women and long-term immigrants had the highest rates in 2021 compared to Indigenous women and recent immigrants. “The gap in full-time employment rates between Canadian-born and long-term immigrant women widened from less than one percentage point in 2007 to 5 percentage points in 2021, in favour of Canadian-born women”(Drolet) while the gap between Canadian-born and Indigenous women stayed stagnant at 12 %, similar to the former and recent immigrants. With regards to education, “In 2021, about 80% of Canadian-born women with a bachelor’s degree or higher were employed full time compared to 73% of long term immigrants and 62% of recent immigrants” —a gap that has not decreased over time. On the flipside, however, “Indigenous women with a university degree were just as likely to hold a full-time job (79%) as their Canadian-born counterparts.” 

Regardless of the decrease of the gender gap in hourly wages between women and men from 2007 to 2022, women continue to earn less, with the inequalities deepening within subregions of women.(Drolet and Amini). While progress has been made in working towards gender equality, the gender pay gap and employment disparities still persist, and the path to a more equitable future remains challenging, but nonetheless essential.

Written By: Aziza Abdurakhmanova

Edited by: Sophia Naydenov

References

Drolet, Marie. “Unmasking Differences in Women’s Full-Time Employment.” Unmasking Differences in Women’s Full-Time Employment, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 26 Sept. 2022, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2022001/article/00009-eng.htm.

Drolet, Marie, and Mandana Mardare Amini. “Intersectional Perspective on the Gender Wage Gap in Canada, 2007 to 2022.” Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 21 Sept. 2023, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2023049-eng.htm. 

“Gender Equality.” UNICEF, http://www.unicef.org/gender-equality. Accessed 7 Oct. 2023. 

“Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.” United Nations, United Nations, http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2023. 

“Gender Equality by Country 2023.” World Population Review, worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gender-equality-by-country. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban, and Max Roser. “Economic Inequality by Gender.” Our World in Data, 21 Mar. 2018, ourworldindata.org/economic-inequality-by-gender.

Why Sex Work Should be Decriminalized in Canada

Sex work is widely considered to be both one of the oldest professions in human history, as well as one of the most stigmatized. Fundamentally, sex work can be defined as “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for money or goods” (CPHA, 2014). Though the sale of sex was decriminalized in Canada in 2014 through the introduction of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), paying for these services remains a criminal offence. This act has been contentious, superficially addressing concerns about the criminalization of sex workers while failing to validate the sex trade as a legitimate labour market. As such, sex workers face severe challenges regarding their safety, working conditions, and health.

Why are the current PCEPA policies harmful to sex workers?

At first glance, the policies in the PCEPA are commendable because they seem to decriminalize sex workers–a population that often faces unfair targeting and prosecution. According to Statistics Canada, the proportion of women accused of police-related sex trade-related crimes dropped from 42% in 2010 to 22% in 2014 after the introduction of the PCEPA, ultimately reaching 5% in 2019. Yet, through its “end demand” or Nordic model of sex regulation, the PCEPA punishes clients and other third-party supporters of sexual services. As per the criminal code, “communicating in any place” to purchase sexual services, advertising services, and gain material benefits from sex work are illegal. Consequently, sex work is further concealed, creating an unsafe environment where communication between providers and clients is rushed, secretive, and isolated. 

In a CBC article written by a Toronto sex worker under the pseudonym “Gabrielle Shirley,” she comments:

“We’re restricted in how we advertise our services and need to work indoors in small (but hidden) brothels, our own homes or travel out to a client. This puts us at risk because we need to be discreet. Although most of our clients are safe, the law makes it difficult to screen clients to protect ourselves against sexual predators. And if there is a problem, calling the police often isn’t an option.”  

As prostitution and other forms of sex work are still holistically viewed as a crime, workers may feel unsafe seeking support from police in situations of violence, harassment, rape, assault, or other crimes in case they may be prosecuted (Human Rights Watch, 2022). This partial criminalization of subjects from marginalized and vulnerable communities, namely Indigenous, black, migrant, and trans women, is at a high risk of being further targeted by police (Wu, 2022). 

In addition, sex worker Jessica Lee argues that the restrictions on advertising sexual services are detrimental to workers’ safety and may increase violence against women in this industry:

“Bill C-36 takes away my ability to clearly advertise my services. If someone doesn’t know what they’re getting or what someone is offering, it’s very hard to make an informed decision. For example, there’s some sex workers who don’t offer full service intercourse type sessions. If a gentleman doesn’t know that and that’s what he expects, there may be a miscommunication that could result in someone being upset, thinking they’re paying for a service they’re not going to get. A girl could be injured or just put in a precarious situation, and that needs to not happen.” 

The criminalization of sex work also poses significant health risks for sex workers. For instance, sex workers were significantly less likely to report good or excellent general health (53.8% vs. 72%) and mental health (39.4 v.s. 77.0%), as well as significantly higher unmet health needs (40.4% v.s. 14.9%) in relation to other Canadians (Benoit, 2020). 

Does sex work perpetuate the sexual exploitation of women and girls?

It may not be far-fetched to claim that a significant fraction of the population still views sex work as degrading, immoral, and antifeminist exploitation. In discussions of decriminalization, proponents of the abolitionist perspective on sex work often argue that prostitution in of itself is a form of gender-based violence, with the vast majority of sex workers being cis or transgender women servicing mostly male buyers (Demand Abolition, 2018). As such, they argue that prostitution and other sexual services objectify women in precarious situations.

While it is true that many people engage in “survival sex work”–that is, the exchange of sex for money, as well as food, clothing, shelter, or a place to stay (COH, n.d.)–these underlying issues need to be addressed through institutional reform that addresses poverty and poor living conditions rather than by criminalizing sex work and causing further endangerment to already marginalized individuals. Nevertheless, plenty of legal-age sex workers choose to sell their sexual services, often despite having other income opportunities. In this case, preventing women from selling their sexual services voluntarily is a flagrant imposition on their self-determination.

Moreover, according to a 2020 study by Dr. Cecilia Benoit, the majority of sex workers surveyed reported high job satisfaction, financial gain, and an appreciation for work control within their selected career. However, one of the most significant downsides was job status, with one-third reporting a heavy social and psychological burden from pursuing a job in the sex industry. This may suggest that rather than dissatisfaction with the job itself, the stigmatization of sex work is largely to blame for its degenerative effects. 

Finally, in promoting the aims of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, it is essential to note that voluntary sex work is fundamentally different to sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is “a form of human trafficking that involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims for sexual exploitation purposes” (Canada P.S., 2023). In contrast, pursuing sex work is a choice by fully consenting adults. Outlined in both the PCEPA and promoted by decriminalization advocates is the strict enforcement of anti-trafficking laws, especially those that target underage girls. By decriminalizing sex work, funds and efforts priorly used to prosecute sex workers can instead be directed towards prosecuting traffickers, and women and girls being exploited can feel empowered to seek help from authorities.

Legalization vs. Decriminalization

So, we have established that sex work should not be criminalized. But why is full decriminalization a better approach than legalization, and what is the difference between these approaches? 

Legalization involves “the creation of special laws that allow some legal ways of sex working” (Scarlet Alliance, 2022). While decriminalization would remove all criminal provisions against sex work, legalization instates special laws to dictate how, where, and in what conditions it can occur. 

The issue with creating regulations around sex work is that while they often sound great on paper, they tend to be expensive, overly restrictive for workers, and create a two-tiered system of work split into illegal and legal categories. For one, marginalized populations face added barriers to undergoing regular STI screenings, registering with law enforcement, and obtaining a license and proper venue. As many workers are desperate to earn a living, they cannot spare the substantial time and money to obtain these arrangements and end up labelled criminals. While this model may benefit well-funded brothels, legalization policies do nothing to protect the most vulnerable populations or remove the stigma around sex work. 

If we truly want to protect sex workers, granting them the autonomy to conduct their business freely, decide their wages, negotiate with clients, avoid exploitative practices, attend health services without discriminatory treatment, and report violence without fear of arrest, decriminalization is the best way forward.

What can you do to help? 

1. Support local and national organizations fighting for sex worker rights!

On a national and provincial level, plenty of organizations are fighting for decriminalizing sex work. You can support these foundations by donating, spreading awareness, signing petitions, or joining nearby protests! 

Some notable organizations include:

  • Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Reform (National): An alliance of sex worker groups and initiatives from all across Canada fighting for decriminalization.
  • Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (National): An organization that works with Canadian decision-makers and advocates for the rights of sex workers. 
  • Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (National): A legal clinic that has assisted more than 100,000 women, many from marginalized and racialized populations, who have survived violence. They advocate for the reform of Bill C-36 and offer free mental health and legal counselling to sex workers.
  • SafeLink Alberta (Alberta): An NGO that works to reduce the risks associated with sexual activity and substance use through “education, HIV and hepatitis C testing, counselling, support groups, and referrals to other healthcare providers.” They also offer individualized support to sex workers. 

A comprehensive list of organizations by province can be found here.

Helpful Hotlines:

  • The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010
  • WAVAW 24-Hour Crisis and Information Line: (604) 255-6344
  • First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline: (855) 242-3310
  • Kids Help Phone: tel:1-800-668-6868, sms: 686868

2. Destigmatize the Conversation Around Sex Work

Sex is a taboo subject for many, and there’s no doubt sex work is too. Sex workers have often been portrayed negatively in the media; their work is conflated with “immoral values,” and workers are effectively labelled in derogatory ways. What we often tend to forget is that behind every “hooker,” there is a human being with rights that are being neglected. 

Destigmatizing the conversation around sex work starts by challenging our own deeply rooted beliefs about sex work and encouraging others around us to do the same. We must also listen to sex workers in a non-judgemental way, trying to understand their experiences and perspectives. Ultimately, sex workers will be able to carry out their work securely when decriminalized, but also when they do not face discrimination, violence or mistreatment due to the nature of their work.

Written by: Daniela Garrido

Edited by: Zuairia Shahrin

References

Benoit, C., Smith, M., Jansson, M., Healey, P., & Magnuson, D. (2020). The relative quality of sex work. Work, Employment and Society, 35(2), 239–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017020936872 

Bogdan, S. (2022, October 4). Challenging criminal laws: The right to sell one’s body vs. the right to not be trafficked. 980 CFPL. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://globalnews.ca/news/9176241/challenging-criminal-laws-sex-work/

Canada, P. S. (2023, January 18). Government of Canada. Sex Trafficking – Canada.ca. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/campaigns/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking.html 

Canadian Public Health Association Position Paper Sex Work – CPHA. CPHA. (2014). Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://www.cpha.ca/sites/default/files/assets/policy/sex-work_e.pdf

Decriminalisation & Legalisation. Scarlet Alliance. (2022, June). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://archive.scarletalliance.org.au//issues/legalisation/ 

Government of Canada, S. C. (2021, June 21). Crimes related to the sex trade: Before and after legislative changes in Canada. The Daily - . Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210621/dq210621c-eng.htm

Lam, E. (2022, October 28). Sex work and the law in Canada. CATIE. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.catie.ca/positive-side/sex-work-and-the-law-in-canada

Mac, J. (2016, June 13). The laws that sex workers really want | juno mac. YouTube. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-n852sv3E 

Rzeplinski, J. (2019, March 18). Decriminalizing sex work is a better solution. Martlet. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://martlet.ca/decriminalizing-sex-work-is-a-better-solution/

Sex Trade | The Homeless Hub. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH). (n.d). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/education-training-employment/sex-trade#:~:text=The%20sex%20trade%20industry%20is,managers%2C%20bartenders%20etc.). 

Sign the Solidarity Statement for Sex Workers’ Rights | Action Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://secure.actioncanadashr.org/en/solidarity-sex-workers-rights 

Shirley, G. (2022). I’m a Toronto sex worker: Here’s why I find my job empowering. CBCnews. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/features/im-a-toronto-sex-worker-heres-why-i-find-my-job-empowering 

Why sex work should be decriminalized. Human Rights Watch. (2022, April 3). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/07/why-sex-work-should-be-decriminalized

Why prostitution shouldn’t be legal. Demand Abolition. (2018, March 2). Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://www.demandabolition.org/research/evidence-against-legalizing-prostitution/ 

 Wu, A. (2022, November 16). Yes, you can oppose trafficking and support sex workers’ rights. The Tyee. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2022/11/16/Oppose-Trafficking-Support-Sex-Workers-Rights/

Combatting The Psychological Impact of COVID-19

As one of the most devastating global health crises in decades, the COVID-19 pandemic completely ravaged economic systems, societal structures, and thousands of livelihoods.[1] While the world appeared to be falling apart, many began to struggle with their mental health, as the isolation, instability, and chaos were starting to take their toll. Tragically, the pandemic exacerbated the challenges that individuals faced with their mental health by increasing the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours.[2][3] Although the degree of these struggles varies from person to person, a few similarities have emerged. 

For instance, it has become evident that one of the most common symptoms that individuals are experiencing is elevated levels of stress. Especially in healthcare workers, the unprecedented changes in protocol and increased workloads have intensified exhaustion. Additional factors responsible for their debilitating fatigue include inadequate organizational support, overwhelming increases in people seeking care, and moral injury from witnessing thousands of patient deaths.[13] To put this into perspective, a staggering 60% of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists reported symptoms of burnout; consequently, these emotional burdens have triggered a troublesome increase in suicidal ideation within the healthcare field. [4][5][6] In addition to frontline workers, children, adolescents, and other civilians have also endured elevated mental strain, as food insecurity, school closures, and economic instability have created new challenges in their everyday lives.[8]

Moreover, another predominant pattern revealed by studies is the severe effects of the pandemic on the mental health of minority groups; this includes Indigenous peoples, people of colour, and those with disabilities. [7] A Canadian university student whose experiences exemplify these magnified struggles faced by minority groups is Zaid Baig.[14] During the pandemic, Baig began to severely struggle with his mental health, as he found it difficult to cope with the isolation, hopelessness, and shift to virtual learning. Eventually, Baig’s mental anguish became so unbearably intense that he attempted to physically harm himself. After reaching this breaking point, Baig realized he needed to seek psychiatric support; however, since Baig’s South Asian descent makes him part of the Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) community, cultural stigma became a barrier to receiving care. In minority communities like these, members struggle to find mental health professionals who can understand their cultural backgrounds and experiences. As an additional challenge, different cultural perceptions of mental health can prevent people from seeking help, as talking about mental struggles can be seen as a taboo. The challenges faced by these vulnerable populations were amplified, as they had less access to resources, proper health care, and mental health support.[9]

While it may seem like the pandemic is behind us, the effect that it has had on our mental health continues to linger. To make matters worse, poor insurance coverage for mental health services and long wait times have imposed treatment barriers for many. Even in the time following the pandemic, no significant changes have been made to insurance policies. While private insurance providers do provide some mental health coverage, typically between $500 – $1500 annually, this only accounts for the cost of approximately 2-8 counseling sessions; often, this isn’t enough to fully help those in need.[15] Therefore, the only option for those who require more sessions or don’t have insurance altogether is to pay out-of-pocket. Considering that mental health care continues to be rather unaffordable, this creates unnecessary financial burdens on many individuals. Additionally, the prolonged wait times for therapy sessions, psychiatric appointments, and inpatient treatment programs are also preventing people from receiving help. To illustrate the intensity of this problem, some Canadians have been on waitlists for up to 2 and a half years, due to the surge of those seeking care.[15] For instance, since the demand for eating disorder treatment programs soared following the pandemic, wait times have also increased. Consequently, because of this lack of availability, doctors are needing to wait before admitting patients who are already in life-threatening conditions. This is especially evident in Sally Chaster’s experience. Chaster, a Canadian woman struggling with anorexia nervosa, needed to wait a staggering eight months before accessing treatment services.[16] Bearing in mind that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses, this could have become a catastrophic situation, as Chaster was unable to receive help when she first needed it. Ultimately, these long wait times are detrimental for all who are suffering mentally, as they allow an individual’s symptoms to prolong and intensify; concurrently, this negatively interferes with their quality of life, as these barriers prevent them from receiving the help they desperately need. 

During the peak of the pandemic, various efforts were made to help the influx of those requiring support; however, we cannot stop now, as this continues to be an ongoing crisis. Although this has been a harsh wake-up call, we can use this as an opportunity to strengthen the mental health response across the world. By raising awareness, we can begin to advocate for increased funding, more resources, and better support. The road ahead may seem daunting, but it doesn’t diminish the value of the destination; with proper action, change will be possible. Undoubtedly, community-based initiatives and mental health service providers are excellent resources for support, but listed below are 6 tools that you can use to foster a better sense of well-being! Additionally, there are some tips on how you can help loved ones with their mental health, while also working towards achieving SDG 3! 

Give Yourself Permission to Relax

Relaxation is crucial in managing stress, as it can regulate your heart rate, improve brain functioning, and help you switch off your fight or flight response. Although it can be difficult to intentionally allow yourself to take breaks, starting small will be beneficial in allowing you to feel less overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. Relaxation practices can vary from person to person, but some common techniques include breathing exercises, meditation, or simply being mindful while completing an activity you enjoy. 

Prioritize Proper Sleep

While it may be tempting to stay up late, lack of sleep has proven to increase feelings of despair, hopelessness, and distress. Therefore, good-quality sleep is essential for your well-being, as being well-rested improves your mood by reducing irritability, enhancing concentration, and energizing you to engage in positive behaviors. 

Take Care of Your Physical Health

Without a doubt, our physical health and mental health are intertwined. Even small amounts of exercise can benefit your mental health, as regular physical activity releases endorphins that enhance your overall well-being. If you feel comfortable, you can go to the gym, or you can do something as simple as going for a walk or riding your bike. Additionally, ensuring that you’re staying hydrated and eating a healthy, balanced diet is crucial, as it improves your brain functioning and allows you to feel your best. Minimizing caffeine intake can also help alleviate some symptoms of anxiety, especially feelings of restlessness. 

Talk to Someone You Trust

It can feel overwhelming when hundreds of thoughts seem to be spiraling in your head. Talking about your struggles to a friend, family member, teacher, or another trusted individual can provide you with a sense of relief. It can allow you to feel less alone, acquire a new perspective on your situation, and free yourself from the thoughts and feelings you’ve trapped inside. 

Practice Gratitude

When we’re struggling with challenges, it’s easy to forget about the good that remains in our life. Even though you may not always feel grateful about anything, starting to appreciate the little things that you take for granted can improve your mood, restore hope, and promote happiness. Practicing gratitude can be as grand as writing out a list every day, or as simple as thinking about something you appreciate.

Reach Out For Help if You Need it 

Asking for professional help is never a sign of weakness but of strength. If you ever feel like you need additional support or are unable to cope with the symptoms you’re experiencing, you don’t need to struggle in silence. Regardless of your situation, you are valid and there are many supports available to help you. Doctors, therapists, and social workers are some of the professionals you can reach out to, and listed below are some resources you can use. 

  • Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 
Call us
  • Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566
  • 911: If you or a friend/family member expresses an intent to harm themselves or others and are in immediate danger, call emergency services. 
  • First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples Hope for Wellness Crisis Line: 1-855-242-3310

https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1576089519527/1576089566478

  • 24/7 Mental Health Helpline For Albertans: 1-877-303-2642
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?id=6810&serviceAtFacilityID=1047134

How To Support Loved Ones Who Are Struggling

If you have a friend, family, or loved one who is struggling with their mental health, it can be difficult to know how to effectively support them. Although they might be withdrawing themselves from you, make an attempt to talk to them. When doing so, don’t force them to open up, but present them with an opportunity to talk. For instance, you could ease into the conversation by mentioning that you’ve recently noticed that they’ve been struggling and that you’re willing to listen if they want to talk. If they do choose to open up, be respectful, empathetic, and attentive to what they’re saying. Instead of invalidating their feelings, offer reassurance by understanding their perspective; genuinely acknowledge that this is a difficult situation for them. Even though you may not be a mental health professional, you can suggest resources, recommend coping strategies that help you, and offer to help in whatever way you can! As always, if this individual is in immediate danger to themselves or others, call 911.

Written by: Tiara Gonsalkoralage

Edited by: Zuairia Shahrin

Works Cited 

  1. World Health Organization. (2022, June 16). The Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health Cannot Be Made Light Of. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-cannot-be-made-light-of
  2. United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 3 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal3
  3. World Health Organization. (2022, March 2). Mental health and covid-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact: Scientific brief, 2 March 2022. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/352189
  4. World Health Organization. (2022, March 2). Covid-19 Pandemic Triggers 25% Increase in Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Worldwide. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide
  5. Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Model to Help us Rethink Challenges. McGill University Health Centre. (2022, May 3). Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://muhc.ca/news-and-patient-stories/news/stress-healthcare-workers-model-help-us-rethink-challenges
  6. Koontalay, A., Suksatan, W., Prabsangob, K., & Sadang, J. M. (2021, October 27). Healthcare Workers’ Burdens During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8558429/
  7. Covid-19 and Suicide – Mental Health Commission of Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/covid_and_suicide_tip_sheet_eng.pdf
  8. Tracking the COVID-19 economy’s effects on food, housing, and employment hardships. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2022, February 10). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-economys-effects-on-food-housing-and 
  9. COVID-19: The Disproportionate Impact on Marginalized Populations. COVID-19: The Disproportionate Impact on Marginalized Populations | Jane Addams College of Social Work | University of Illinois Chicago. (2020, April 29). Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://socialwork.uic.edu/news-stories/covid-19-disproportionate-impact-marginalized-populations/
  10. Mental health and Covid-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact. (2022, March 2). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/352189/WHO-2019-nCoV-Sci-Brief-Mental-health-2022.1-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  11. World Health Organization. (2022, October 13). Impact of Covid-19 on People’s Livelihoods, their Health and our Food Systems. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2020-impact-of-covid-19-on-people%27s-livelihoods-their-health-and-our-food-systems
  12. World Health Organization. (2021, October 7). 6 ways to Take Care of your Mental Health and Well-Being this World Mental Health Day. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/how-we-work/pacific-support/news/detail/07-10-2021-6-ways-to-take-care-of-your-mental-health-and-well-being-this-world-mental-health-day
  13. Murthy, V. H. (2022, July 13). Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being | Nejm. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2207252
  14. Anand, A. (2023, February 1). Taboos and therapists who don’t understand: Mental health struggles more complicated for BIPOC Youth | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/mental-health-bipoc-youth-struggles-stories-ottawa-1.6730187
  15. Moroz, N., Moroz, I., & Slovinec D’Angelo, M. (2020, July 2). Mental Health Services in Canada: Barriers and cost … – sage journals. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0840470420933911
  16. Dubois, S. (2022, August 13). Wait times for eating disorder treatment in Canada grow during the pandemic | CBC news. CBCnews. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/wait-times-for-eating-disorder-treatment-in-canada-grow-during-the-pandemic-1.6533635

Forty Three Years and 120,000 Lives Later

TW: Murder, Domestic Violence

“In February of 1979 Tehran was in chaos”. Says my grandmother, who lived during the Islamic revolution. Months ago when we spoke, she was unsure of how long the protests would last.   She said: “we’re far from a revolution, people will get scared away”. She was hopeless then, but in our most recent conversation she said proudly, “Iran is in chaos. This is a revolution”. 

Here are some under 10-minute actions you can take to directly save lives: 

  1. Sign petitions on https://www.change.org/  

A lot of people think signing petitions won’t make a difference. IT DOES. 

  1. Post on social media and take it seriously! 

As a result of abundant attention social media has brought to the crisis in Iran, many activists have been released,  prisoners have received political sponsors, and many executions have been paused as a result of the calls to action. This is one of the first times that people posting on social media, interacting, and using hashtags has led to an actionable difference. 

Some reliable sources: 

      @Nazanin Nour 

      @Nazanin Boniadi 

      @Masih Alinejad 

      @1500-tasvir

      @Chelseahartisme  

     (On both Instagram and Twitter)

      @Bethevoice.community 

      @Smohyeddin

      @Middleeastmatters

      @Damitdasklaas

      (Only on Instagram)

  1. Email and call your MPs and representatives. Request more media coverage! You can find a link of all MPs for different provinces in Canada below! 

https://www.4mycanada.com/contact-mp-senator?fbclid=PAAaazTUpUry_s-aYYvpO5BIttowU1l7sdLWfXBE2V-w3QC9xgp-Tg_FsbPN8

  1. Attend protests. 

Reach out to your local Iranian community. We welcome each and every one of you. We appreciate your care and support. You can reach out to Iranian Heritage Society of Edmonton (IHSE) via email, instagram, or twitter! We are also a part of the Iranian Students’ Association at the University of Alberta (ISAUA). 

  1. Try to stay updated.

Remember detained, and murdered individuals are humans that have a story. They’re not just names and numbers, and the number of people in danger is increasing as we speak. 

  1. Lastly, please be kind to yourselves and to your Iranian friends. Use your privilege wisely and be the voice of Iranians. 

Four decades ago, Iranians swelled with pride, hope and expectations of a better future. Dreams of freedom and independence from Western countries controlling  Iran  fired up the revolutionaries: The  Islamic republic (IRGC), a theocracy built on ideological choices inspired to great extent by Ayatollah Khomeini. It was a rapid, great change: it led to deep and long lasting wounds. New rules were put into effect to forbid anything that might lead people astray and prevent them from ascending to a heavenly afterlife. These measures include strict controls on media, which isolated Iranians from Western influences; the absolute segregation of the sexes in public places, mandatory headscarves for women, bans on alcohol and musical instruments, and even rules   forbidding girls from  attending elementary school without the mandatory headscarf. It went on and on, zealously and brutally enforced by the IRGC morality police and parliamentary forces (Basijis). 

It didn’t take too long for people to start protesting against this dictatorship and for Iranians to  face extreme backlash and criminal violations in return. According to sources, 120 000 Iranian citizens: men, women, and children have been terrorized during anti-government protests since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Repression, genocide, massacre  and terror became the day-to-day reality of Iranians. These horrors drastically affected Iranian children, as one of the most vulnerable populations who are essentially never safe under this dictatorship. Children continue to suffer from child marriage, violent family dynamics, unacceptable work conditions, and malnutrition.We can look to the quality of life that children experienced in 2021 to reflect these atrocities.

In 2021 alone, in the province of Sistan Baluchestan (Iran), 12,000 children under the age of five were suffering from malnutrition (Doe, 2022). Iran registered 172 marriages of young girls between the age of five to nine years old (NCRI Woman Committee, 2022). Children are facing severe violence at home; Mona Heydari (17) was beheaded by her adult husband who then proceeded to parade her served head on the streets to prove his honor (Esfandiari, 2022). Many young women and girls face domestic violence in the family, as well; daughter and child Romina Ashrafi (14) was beheaded by her father in an act of honor to his community (Esfandiari, 2020). 

During protests in different years, hundreds of children and teenagers were tortured and killed. On January 8th, 2020, in an intentional act of terror, the Islamic Republic shot a passenger plane (#PS752), killing all passengers and crew including 20 children. In the most recent uprisings following the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini in September 2022, at least 70 children were reportedly killed by the IRGC forces. 

UNICEF has failed to take any proper action towards holding the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for their acts of terror and has also failed to raise awareness of the countless protests and calls to action for change.   It wasn’t until National Children’s Day, November 27th, 2022, that UNICEF “responded” to the violations Iranian children have been facing over the past four decades, with only an Instagram story that quotes that they “condemn the killing of Iranian children”.

As anti-government protests roil cities in Iran for the fifth month since Mahsa Amini’s death, tens of thousands of Iranians living abroad have also marched on the streets of their countries to stand with their people. And now, the time has come; “It is time for concrete action by the  international community to hold Iran’s government accountable.” (United Nations, 2022).  Condemnation is NOT enough. 

In the past five months Iranians all around the world have proved that hope prevails. We have two possible paths in front of us: either repression will increase to crack down on every form of protest, or resistance groups will form to confront security forces. 

The most important means of resistance that Iranians have is hope. To know we are standing on the right side of the history, Iranians are doing everything in their power to get Western society involved and inspiringly, our work has already had positive outcomes: 

  1. The Human Rights Council has created a fact-finding mission, related to the protests that began on September 16, 2022. 
  2. UN expels Iran from women’s rights body, accusing the Islamic republic of systematic violations of women’s rights. 
  3. politicians across the globe are sponsoring Iranian political prisoners. So, they can use their political sway in communicating with Iranian ambassadors, other politicians and human rights organizations in bringing attention to the life of Iranian prisoners.
  4. On January 19th 2023, the European Parliament voted to urge terrorist listing of IRGC.
  5. Organizations such as NIAC, that are lobbying for the Islamic Republic have lost their worldwide credibility.  

These are all examples proving the power of activism. The power of care, and the power of hope! Iran will never be the same. for women, for life, and for freedom. 

Written by: Parishad Kavyani

Edited by: Sara Assaf

Works Cited:

Al Jazeera. “UN Expels Iran From Women’s Rights Body for Protest Crackdowns.” United Nations News | Al Jazeera, 14 Dec. 2022, www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/14/un-expels-iran-from-un-womens-rights-body-for-protest-crackdowns.

Doe, Jane. “Child Malnutrition on the Rise in Sistan and Baluchistan.” IranWire, 18     Mar. 2022, https://prod.iranwire.com/en/news/71125. 

Esfandiari, Golnaz. “Beheading of 17-Year-Old Shakes Iran, Renews Debate About Violence Against Women.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 9 Feb. 2022, www.rferl.org/a/iran-beheading-honor-killing-violence-women/31693367.html.

“Gruesome Death of Iranian Teenager Shows Shame of ‘Honor’ Killings.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 8 June 2020, http://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-father-s-gruesome-murder-of-daughter-shows-shame-of-honor-killings/30653304.html.

Iran International Newsroom. “In Fear of IRGC Terrorist Listing, Regime Officials Threaten Europe.” Iran International, 18 Jan. 2023, www.iranintl.com/en/202301186217.

“Iran: The World Must Take Action to Protect Women and Protesters.” ARTICLE 19, 27 Sept. 2022, http://www.article19.org/resources/iran-protect-women-and-protesters.

“Killings and Detentions of Children in Iran Must End, UN Child Rights Committee Urges.” UN News, 17 Oct. 2022, news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129612.

NCRI Women Committee. “Iran Registers 172 Marriages of Young Girls Between 5 and 9 Years Old.” NCRI Women Committee, 17 Jan. 2022, women.ncr-iran.org/2022/01/17/172-marriages-of-young-girls.

Persian, Voa. “UNICEF Condemns Violence, Abuse of Children in Iran Protests.” VOA, 28 Nov. 2022, http://www.voanews.com/a/unicef-condemns-violence-abuse-of-children-in-iran-protests/6852752.html.

Save the Children International. “Investigation Needed Into Treatment of Children During Iran Protests: Save the Children.” Save the Children International, 7 Nov. 2022, http://www.savethechildren.net/news/investigation-needed-treatment-children-during-iran-protests-save-children.

Sinaee, Maryam. “Protests in Iran, Abroad Boost Sense of Unity, Solidarity.” Iran International, 24 Oct. 2022, http://www.iranintl.com/en/202210243395.

“Time for ‘Concrete Action’ by International Community to Hold Iran’s Security Forces to Account.” UN News, 27 Oct. 2022, news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129937.

“UN Rights Body Launches Iran Human Rights Investigation.” UN News, 24 Nov. 2022, news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1131022.

VOA Persian Service. “International Politicians Sponsoring Iranian Prisoners.” VOA, 2 Jan. 2023, http://www.voanews.com/a/international-politicians-are-sponsoring-iranian-prisoners-/6899587.html.

Racism in Healthcare

All Canadians have the right to access healthcare. Discriminatory treatments, however, make it difficult for minority groups such as Black, Indigenous, and people of colour to exercise this right. A historical case that exemplifies healthcare’s mistreatment of Black people is an American physician, Samuel Adolphus Cartwright’s invention of the ‘mental illness’ drapetomania in the 1850s. What this ‘mental illness’ entailed is as ridiculous as its name makes it sound: the disease that made the slaves desire freedom and run away. Cartwright also created another illness named dysaesthesia ethiopica which purportedly made the slaves indifferent to the punishment given by their owners. These made-up diseases were used to justify how Black people were psychologically and physiologically suited for slavery. Another historical case is the one that occurred in the 1940s, when Indigenous children were forced to starve in six residential schools. The Canadian physicians took advantage of such conditions in order to study the effects of malnutrition. They experimented on the children by altering their diet which consisted of meals that were minimal in quantity and abhorrent in quality. Russell Moses, an Indian Affairs Branch employee who attended the Mohawk Institute in Ontario, from 1942 to 1947, explained that “hunger was never absent” for him and other children in residential schools. 

How does our healthcare system treat minorities today? Perhaps racism is not as overt as it was in the past. Or so we might think. But it surely exists in our current healthcare system. The mistreatment of an Indigenous man from Manitoba, Brian Sinclair, sheds light on undeniable racism in healthcare. In 2008, Brain was referred to the emergency department of Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre by his primary care physician and was met with 34 hours of negligence. He eventually died due to complications of a bladder infection that was treatable had he been taken care of by the physicians immediately. Furthermore, a request to inquire into Brian’s death was denied by the Manitoba government. Only after five years passed since his death did the inquest begin. The inquest revealed how discriminatory actions from health care professionals led to the tragic and unjust event of his death. There were multiple witnesses who testified that staff made assumptions about Brian such as that he was intoxicated or homeless. Nurses, despite their claim that they have never noticed Brian, were seen in the hospital’s camera to have walked right by him when he was in urgent need of help. In January 2014, however, it was ruled that racism was beyond the mandate of the inquest which meant that the role of racism, on both an individual and systemic level, will not be analyzed when it comes to patient health. 

Presence of racism can not only be seen in single instances but also in statistical data of collected experiences of minorities in healthcare. In a study done by Husbands et al., among 1360 Black Canadian participants living in Toronto and Ottawa, around 60% reported experiencing racism within 12 months before the study. The likelihood increased if participants were older, employed, born in Canada, obtained high levels of education, identified as LGBTQ, and reported to have moderate access to basic needs and housing. Apart from age and LGBTQ identity, many of these factors are generally thought of as positive social determinants of health.  This suggests that these social protective factors still are not sufficient in preventing Black Canadians from experiencing racism. Further, it was reported that one of every five participants felt difficulty accessing healthcare, and of those, 25% attributed such difficulty directly to racism, while 30% and 10% attributed it to more specific reasons that are indirectly related to racism. Moreover, Black Canadians were less likely to be tested for HIV due to their experiences with racism. Such effects of racism contribute significantly to health inequities between Black Canadians and other demographics. 

From historical cases to modern ones, in both case studies and population-scale research, it is evident that the Canadian healthcare system often mistreats the minorities in our society. It is clear that racism is a prominent and an important issue in healthcare that ought to be resolved. As citizens of a country that embraces multicultural values and harmony, we must take whatever steps we can to help fight against racism in our society as well as advocate for minorities’ voices to be heard.

Written by: Erica Kim

Edited by: Zuairia Shahrin & Kritika Taparia

Works Cited:

“Drapetomania: When Fighting Oppression Is a ‘Mental Illness.’” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/machiavellians-gulling-the-rubes/202105/drapetomania-when-fighting-oppression-is-mental-illness.

Husbands, Winston, et al. “Black Canadians’ Exposure to Everyday Racism: Implications for Health System Access and Health Promotion among Urban Black Communities.” Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9447939/.

Mosby, Ian, and Tracey Galloway. “‘Hunger Was Never Absent’: How Residential School Diets Shaped Current Patterns of Diabetes among Indigenous Peoples in Canada.” CMAJ, CMAJ, 14 Aug. 2017, https://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/32/E1043.

Nourish. “Ignored to Death: Systemic Racism in the Canadian Healthcare System.” Nourish Leadership, Nourish Leadership, 29 Apr. 2021, https://www.nourishleadership.ca/resources-1/2021/4/9/ignored-to-death-systemic-racism-in-the-canadian-healthcare-system. 

How Canada’s MAiD Laws Leaves Vulnerable Individuals Open to Abuse

On June 17, 2016, a hallmark decision regarding Canadian health policy was made. Bill C-14 was passed, legalizing medically assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia in Canada in the form of MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying). For many Canadians who lived with terminal illnesses, as well as loved ones who had been a witness to their pain, this was a moment to rejoice and celebrate. While this was a definite step forward for Canada, recent implications regarding the use of this policy have been deemed problematic by critics, as an increasing number of people are turning to assisted suicide as a method of liberation from poverty or other social injustices. Stronger social safety nets and more well-developed policies regarding the uses of MAiD are needed to curb this disturbing trend. As Canadians, we need to ensure that not only do we have the right to die with dignity, but to live in dignity as well. 

While MAiD  is a vital program for ensuring the rights of the terminally ill, the policy fails to ensure safeguards to protect those vulnerable to economic and social injustices from misuse of the program. The United Nations has expressed concern to the federal government that “persons with disabilities may decide to end their lives because of broader social factors such as loneliness, social isolation, and lack of access to quality social services” (Mulligan & Bond, 2022). Such circumstances have already come to light, considerably in the case of Amir Farsoud. Farsoud receives benefits from Ontario Disability Support Payments for his debilitating back pain, but unfortunately, the payments are insufficient to support him (Mulligan & Bond, 2022). Faced with the threat of homelessness, Farsoud chose MAiD as an alternative. Unfortunately, in this case, it was not pain or illness, but lack of access to financial aid and social support services that led him to the decision. Not just a lack of resources, but the possibility of coercion for MAiD has also come up. Roger Foley, who suffers from a degenerative brain disease, reported that he felt he was being manipulated into choosing MAiD as doctors brought up the possibility of MAiD if he was unable to get the self-directed funding he was aiming to get, citing the hospital bills he would otherwise incur (Harris, 2020). In circumstances as sensitive as these, should medical care providers be permitted to broach the possibility of MAiD without first exploring all other viable options and without the prompting of the patient? Cases similar to that of Farsoud and Foley have been reported, where a lack of policy of the MAiD system leaves one susceptible to exploitation by the system. Certain aspects of the management and procedural guidelines of MAiD must be addressed in order to remedy the issue.

Firstly, it is not feasible to think of the dissolution of MAiD as a viable solution. Assisted dying is an important medical freedom and must be maintained. Instead, it must be ensured that the system itself is improved in order to prevent abuse of the vulnerable. Inequities in our society are driving people to choose MAiD, and we must do our best to remove the inequities themselves, as this could lead to entirely different outcomes, as seen in the aftermath of Farsoud’s case. After going public with his story, Farsoud was met with an outpouring of support, significantly through a GoFundMe which raised money for him to find a new housing situation (Mulligan & Bond, 2022). This allowed him to rescind his application for MAiD, as he now possessed the provisions needed to live a dignified life. The situation showcases how a lack of resources can lead one to consider assisted suicide, and how the loss of life can be prevented by providing adequate support to them to live their lifestyle. Unfortunately though, this should not be happening through the use of a GoFundMe, but instead governmental support should be expanded to ensure that everyone’s social safety net can care for them. Looking critically at social policies regarding poverty, homelessness, and disability benefits and improving them not only strengthens society as a whole, but is vital in ensuring that the misuse of MAiD does not occur. Additionally, policies specifically pertaining to MAiD must be scrutinized themselves. For this, we can look at countries who have a longer history of performing voluntary euthanasia, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, as an example. In such countries, doctors must inform patients of all possible alternatives before referring MAiD, which is not necessary in Canada (Webster, 2022). This becomes especially important when patients are pursuing MAiD due to mental health reasons or reasons pertaining to economic distress, as finding an alternative to satisfy their needs could be the measure that leads them to reconsider MAiD. To add, in most places where euthanasia has been legalised, it is discouraged or disallowed for the healthcare provider to independently bring up the prospect of using MAiD, as it could lead to coercion (Kirkey, 2022). This is not the case in Canada. University of Toronto bioethicist, Kerry Bowman states it is “very problematic when we bring (MAiD) up to people who can’t pay the rent, or people who are living with disability who don’t have adequate access to the things that they need”, as “some people, no matter how well-handled your conversation, may infer that it’s essentially a suggestion” (Kirkey, 2022). Considering the power imbalances that are present in a patient-doctor relationship, an emphasis on patient initiative would be ethical. Overall, considering the societal and moral contexts that can lead to MAiD, efforts should be made to reconfigure the policy for the benefit of those seeking treatment by expanding government assistance and remedying current MAiD guidelines. 

While, MAiD has been helpful to many across Canada in ensuring that they can have a peaceful and dignified end, there are also instances in which people have been abused and exploited by that same system. As the Canadian government moves onwards towards expanding MAiD eligibility, it becomes imperative to take a look at the current fallacies of the system so that they too can be addressed in a parliamentary manner through policy and guideline. It is time to ensure that death with dignity is not an alternative to life without dignity.

Works Cited

Bond, M., & Mulligan, C. (2022, November 16). Ontario man not considering medically-assisted death anymore after outpouring of support. CityNews. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/11/16/ontario-medically-assisted-death-support/

Harris, K. (2020, November 10). Disability advocates say assisted dying bill fails to protect vulnerable Canadians | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved December 17, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/maid-assisted-dying-legislation-disabilities-1.5796697

Kirkey, S. (2022, November 2). Canadian doctors encouraged to bring up medical aid in dying first … National Post. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-maid-medical-aid-in-dying-consent-doctors

Webster, P. (2022, September 10). Worries grow about medically assisted dying in Canada. The Lancet. Retrieved Jan 3, 2023, from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01733-0/fulltext 

Written by: Manat Sidhu

Edited by: Tiara Gonsalkoralage