Reflections on a president's visit, gender equality and the road to reconciliation

During U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Ottawa, the participation of Canadian women holding senior government jobs was unprecedented. Canada’s Governor General, Mary Simon, led the welcoming party for the president and First Lady Jill Biden. Dignitaries on the tarmac alongside Simon included Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Treasury Board Secretariat President Mona Fortier, and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman. Biden’s first meeting with Simon, an Inuk, to discuss their nations’ shared priorities was nothing short of historic. Although such high-profile activities generate a lot of photos, they are not just for show. More meaningfully, who is invited to the table and the issues on the agenda are a direct reflection of a government’s values and priorities. In fact, the preparations for and discussions between high-ranking officials during a state visit increase the momentum for Canada’s entire machinery of government to advance and forge solutions to issues facing our country, including progress to closing the persistent gender equality gap and advancing the journey toward reconciliation. For example, following the Biden visit, Pauktuutit anticipates that the federal action plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), slated for release this June, should be fully informed by using a gender-based-plus analysis that will consider the distinct expert knowledge, lived experiences, and concrete ideas of Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit. Greater investments in violence and abuse prevention, new Inuit shelters and second-stage housing for women fleeing violence, as well as increased support for gendered and culturally appropriate healthcare are among Pauktuutit’s top priorities for inclusion in the UNDRIP Action Plan. These imperatives are consistent with the National Inuit Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Inuit Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, co-developed by Pauktuutit and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Tangible progress on these issues is the best way to honour the lives of Inuit women, girls and gender-diverse Inuit lost to gender violence, like 22-year-old Savanna Pikuyak of Nunavut, murdered last September while living in Ottawa to attend nursing school. Gerri Sharpe is president of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada. Handout photograph During his address to Parliament, Biden stressed, “We believe to our core that every single person deserves to live in dignity, safety, and rise as high as their dreams can carry them." These declarative words aptly apply to the challenges and opportunities faced by Inuit girls, women, and gender-diverse Inuit. Inuit women experience the highest rates of violence in Canada—more than 10 times higher than women as a whole—yet investments to protect our safety remain slow to come. Today, Inuit women are working to restore traditional and culturally-informed midwifery services across Inuit Nunangat, so they no longer have to leave the safety and support of families and friends to give birth at urban centres in the distant south. Thankfully, Inuit women are also resilient and excelling. Inuk cardiac surgeon Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, lawyer and MP for Nunavut Lori Idlout, as well as Governor General Simon, are vital role models for Inuit youth aspiring to careers in healthcare, the law, or government. Furthermore, the talents of Inuit visual and performing artists, fashion designers, and seamstresses are being recognized and celebrated both in Canada and globally. Most importantly, in our communities, across the country and around the world, the voices of Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit are being heard. And these voices hold more weight and value when Inuit women have a seat at all the tables where decisions are being made, including the table shared between two friendly nations and allies. Gerri Sharpe is president of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, the national non-profit organization representing all Inuit women in Canada. Its mission is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women and gender-diverse people to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural, and economic development. The Hill Times

Reflections on a president’s visit, gender equality and the road to reconciliation

The voices of Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit are being heard. And these voices hold more weight and value when Inuit women have a seat at all the tables where decisions are being made, including the table shared between two friendly nations and allies, writes Gerri Sharpe.

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Reflections on a president’s visit, gender equality and the road to reconciliation

The voices of Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit are being heard. And these voices hold more weight and value when Inuit women have a seat at all the tables where decisions are being made, including the table shared between two friendly nations and allies, writes Gerri Sharpe.

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