Lacking access

A study by the Canadian Medical Association has highlighted the fact that Indigenous people living in rural Canada face severely restricted access to healthcare and birthing facilities. Around 23 per cent of Indigenous people are forced to travel 200 kilometres or more to give birth, compared to two per cent of non-Indigenous people. The report points out that Indigenous women are already subject to multiple forms of discrimination, primarily in income and health, and that this is compounded by geographical isolation.