In honour of International Women’s Day, we asked members of the Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition one question: What does equitable access to good health look like?
Here is what they shared:
Dr. Nicole Letourneau, Professor of Nursing and Medicine, University of Calgary
“Everyone has access to resources to support their health — and those most at risk or least resourced are identified for support.”
Dr. Anick Bérard, Professor, Perinatal Pharmacoepidemiology, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Québec
“Equitable access means everyone, regardless of literacy level, cultural background, language or community, has the tools and knowledge they need to make informed health decisions in partnership with their health care providers. It also means that all evidence needs to be specific and adapted to all population groups.”
Dr. Patricia Johnston, PhD, MSW, BSW, BA, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work
“Equitable access to good health for Inuit women means having safe, respectful and culturally grounded care available within their home communities, delivered in their own language and responsive to the social and material realities of life in Nunavut.
It recognizes the ongoing impact of colonial systems, policies and practices that have resulted in family separation (such as residential schools, sanitoriums, the child welfare system etc.), as well as systemic barriers such as housing and food insecurity, and cost of living all as core health issues. Equitable access to good health care also honours the strength and efforts of Inuit women by building socio-health care around their lived realities and community strengths.”
Inuktitut translation:
ᑭᐅᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐅᑯᓄᖓ: ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓴᐃᔨ ᓘᒃᑖᖅ ᐸᑐᕆᓴ ᔮᓐᔅᑕᓐ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎ, ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅ ᑭᐅᓕᒍᕆ, ᐃᓕᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ
ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓯᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑕᐅᑦᑐᖃᖅᐸ?
“ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓯᐅᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᖃᙱᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᒡᕕᖃᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖅᖁᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖅ ᒪᓂᒪᓗᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐸᓗᐊᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓱᓕᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ. ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓂᖃᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓂᓕᐅᕆᔪᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᐅᒪᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᑐᐊᒐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓲᓂᒃ ᖃᑕᙳᑎᒌᓂᑦ ᐊᕕᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ (ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᑦ, ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓯᐅᕐᕖᑦ, ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᐅᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᕋᓗᐃᑦ), ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᑕᖃᐃᓐᓇᓲᑦ ᑐᓗᖅᑕᕈᑏᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᒡᓗᕐᔪᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕿᖃᕈᖕᓇᕐᓂᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑭᑐᓗᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᑦ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓯᐅᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᓐᓂᖃᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᓴᙱᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓇᓱᓐᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐱᕈᐃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ-ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓯᐅᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᒻᒧᑦ ᓴᙱᓂᕐᓂᑦ.”
Dr. Martha Paynter, Associate Professor, University of New Brunswick; Dr. Jessica Liauw, Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia
“Freedom from systemic injustice, actualization of reproductive autonomy, and living in community with safety.”
“Feeling safe and empowered in health care.”
Dr. Isabelle Malhamé, Physician Scientist in Obstetric Medicine, Associate Professor, McGill University Health Centre
“Equitable access to good health means recognizing and addressing structural, systemic, and individual barriers within the health care system, and co-creating solutions with those most affected by discrimination, stigma, racism, or lack of prioritization, so that everyone can access, navigate, and use multidisciplinary health care services that support them in their current health journey.”
Dr. Mona Loufty, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Maple Leaf Medical Clinic; Clinical Researcher, Women’s College Hospital Research and Innovation Institute; Director, Women HIV and Health Research Program; Professor, University of Toronto
“Our envisionment of equitable access to good health is for all women, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people living with HIV to be able to achieve optimal health outcomes and live to their full potential. We will only know that we have achieved equitable access when social factors and identity — including but not limited to socioeconomic status, housing stability, food security, race and ethnicity, immigration status and location — are considered meaningfully in care to shape health opportunities, rather than drive health gaps.
It also looks like improved ability of patients to connect with resources and personnel that would support their health, such as accessing parenting pathways or peer support, through a trauma and violence-aware, person-centred and culturally-safe approach. This is in line with our vision of the WCHC Hub as a feminist network that challenges misogyny, patriarchy and historical colonialism to support all women and gender diverse and Two-Spirit people living with HIV via appropriately gendered care, knowledge mobilization and learning.”
Dr. Lori Brotto, Director, University of British Columbia Sexual Health Laboratory Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health; Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of British Columbia; Executive Director, Women’s Health Research Institute
“Equitable access to good health starts with recognizing that “good health” may mean something different to each person. Health is shaped by personal, social, cultural, political, spiritual and familial contexts, so an equitable approach should centre the individual and create space for meaningful dialogue between patients, providers and researchers. Trauma-informed care is essential to this process, as it supports a more holistic understanding of health and well-being that reflects each person’s lived experience.
Equitable access also requires recognizing that health is shaped by social and structural determinants, and that the systems we live within are inequitable at both the social and structural level. This recognition can give insight into the root causes of inequitable access to care and help support upstream, systemic change. Viewing equitable access through the lens of collective responsibility can also help reduce the burden placed on individuals and encourage a relational model of care that emphasizes community support, shared decision making and a space where all people’s voices are valued.
At the SHAPE Hub, we aim to improve both access to care and health outcomes for women and gender-diverse people experiencing sexual dysfunction and genito-pelvic pain (SD/GPP). In our work, equitable access to good health starts with making research accessible, centering the voices of diverse and systemically oppressed individuals, and building the next generation of women’s health researchers to continue the path of working towards gender equity in research and health care.”
