IN PLAIN SIGHT: OUR RESPONSE

The BC Women’s Health Foundation condemns racism in every form and endorses the recommendations contained within Dr. Turpel-Lafond’s In Plain Sight report. As we learned when we released 2019’s In Her Words report, many Indigenous women said physicians often made assumptions about their life experiences that informed diagnoses, including labeling patients as alcoholics. More than 80% of the Indigenous women who participated in our report told us they had trouble accessing care compared to just 30% of women overall.

We support the leadership of Provincial Health Minister Adrian Dix in directing the Ministry of Health to undertake action in working on all recommendations in the report with Indigenous partners.  

As a philanthropic Foundation that funds women’s health and women’s health research in BC, we are committed to ensuring the work we invest in equitably supports every woman in our province. In addition to a gendered-approach to healthcare, we believe diversity is multi-dimensional, encompassing race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, religion, experience, age, ability, class, and more.

Philanthropy can help address and eliminate barriers for women to have equitable access to healthcare, and BC Women’s Health Foundation is supportive of every measure that helps root out systemic racism in healthcare.

KEEP READING

• Read In Plain Sight
• Read the In Her Words Report

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who require emotional support can contact the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line and On-line Counselling Service toll-free at 1-855-242-3310 or through hopeforwellness.ca. The Métis Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-833-MétisBC (1-833-638-4722). And the KUU-US Crisis line is available 24/7 at 1-800-588-8717 to provide support to Indigenous people in B.C. For more information, visit: kuu-uscrisisline.ca