Why are we addressing this issue?
We want to work towards a world where people are no longer discriminated against when it comes to their health. Your testimonies will help us to demonstrate why health care requires a gendered approach; to identify what issues need particular attention and should be addressed by government, the medical establishment & the private sector; and ultimately, how we can achieve a more equitable society.
It goes without saying that everyone deserves a healthy environment as well as equal respect for their health concerns. At the same time, health matters have important gender considerations: women, for example, face different health risks; have different health and illness patterns; and experience different social and cultural contexts that affect their access to health services and the treatment they receive. Indigenous women, women from ethnic minorities, and transgender people can face multiple forms of discrimination in accessing these services. Women are also disproportionately affected by climate change and weather-related disasters.
This website not only provides a forum for people to relate their stories and experiences but also serves as a way to gauge some of the most important health matters to women in Canada right now. We may then use this material to form the basis of a local or nationwide project or campaign.
Who we are
The site was established by Helen Kinsella and is operated on a voluntary basis. Helen is a women’s rights and environmental activist, writer, and former vice-chair of the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen) in the United Kingdom. She has also previously been a consultant to the Environmental Justice Foundation, the Fawcett Society and Women for Women International; written on international and socio-political affairs for ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Globe and Mail’; and worked on the foreign desk of ‘The Independent’ newspaper. This project is endorsed by Wen.
Special acknowledgement to Maria Sanders Mora and Priya Odedra who donated their time to design our beautiful logo; Indélébile for translation and editing; and Sylvain Gingras-Demers for technical support.