Submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Review of Canada at 89th Session (October 7-25, 2024)

9 DISADVANTAGED GROUPS OF WOMEN In the CEDAW Committee’s “List of issues and questions prior to the submission of the tenth periodic report of Canada,” the Committee asked of Canada: 22. [...] The ongoing impacts of colonialism and a legacy of racist criminal law and law enforcement practices has resulted in the mass incarceration of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities in Canada.61 In particular, Indigenous and Black women are disproportionately affected. [...] In a national survey conducted by the federal correctional service (Correctional Service Canada), 34% of men and 25% of women reported using non-injection drugs during the past six months in prison, while 17% of men and 14% of women reported injecting drugs.69 Other studies have revealed high rates of syringe-sharing among people who use drugs in Canada’s prisons, due to the lack of sterile inject. [...] Unsurprisingly, research shows that the incarceration of people who inject drugs is a factor driving Canada’s HIV and HCV epidemics.72 In prison, the risk of STBBI transmission increases, as people are barred from necessary health and harm reduction services, leading to higher rates of HIV and HCV in prison compared to the broader community. [...] As the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) and the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders recommend, incarcerated women must enjoy the same standards of healthcare that are available in the community,77 including access to gender-specific healthcare.78 This 68 CEDAW Committee, Concluding observations.