Compulsory sterilization in Canada

Compulsory sterilization in Canada of individuals deemed mentally unfit or "socially inadequate" was widespread in the early to mid-20th century. The belief was that by preventing these individuals from reproducing, society would be protected from the perceived negative impact of their genes. This led to <a href="/facts/Compulsory_sterilization/3nxJMvV4">compulsory sterilization</a> of thousands of people, many of whom were Indigenous women, individuals with disabilities, and those deemed to have "undesirable" traits.
The legal basis for compulsory sterilization in Canada can be traced back to the passage of the <a href="/facts/Sexual_Sterilization_Act/SKmqV5xl">Sexual Sterilization Act</a> in Alberta in 1928. This legislation allowed for the sterilization of individuals deemed mentally deficient or mentally ill without their consent. Similar legislation existed in British Columbia, although records on sterilizations there are incomplete. Additionally, sterilizations occurred in Saskatchewan, Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and other regions without specific legal frameworks. These laws remained in place until the 1970s, when public opinion began to shift and the practice was eventually deemed unethical and inhumane. 
Despite legislation Indigenous women allege they were coerced into consenting to sterilization, often during vulnerable moments such as childbirth, from the mid 1970s onwards. In June 2021, the Standing Committee on <a href="/facts/Human_Rights_in_Canada/zaUErHIQ">Human Rights in Canada</a> found that compulsory sterilization is ongoing in Canada and its extent has been underestimated. A bill was introduced to Parliament in 2024 to end the practice.
Although current views that might define these actions as racist or <a href="/facts/Genocide/IjkNvg7y">genocidal</a>, they were seen as progressive at the time. Canadian <a href="/facts/Eugenics/e7w6aSUV">eugenics</a> beliefs and practices operated via institutionalization and medical judgements, similar to other nations at the time, some modern scholars contend this was a form of <a href="/facts/Canadian_genocide_of_Indigenous_peoples/9ftk5lQK">Canadian genocide of Indigenous peoples</a>, aimed at limiting the rights and existence of a group of people.

Compulsory sterilization in Canada open-in-new

Compulsory sterilization in Canada