I'd like to invite Maria Pelova to come and speak to reproductive rights
I've made a mental note
of all the young people reading off
their electronic devices
and me coming here with a print-out
--laughter--
So hi everyone,
my name is Maria Pelova
and I'm a local physician
it is my honour to tell you that
the doctors of Yellowknife,
whether here in person or in spirit.
stand with you today.
I first want to thank you for being here
in this freezing but beautiful weather
Ok I'll try louder
Off camera: you guys can also move forward, we're all family today guys
and I want to thank you for showing your solidarity
--my lips are frozen--laughter--
with the women of Yellowknife, the NWT,
the hundreds and thousands of women in Washington
and women all over Canada
as well as around the world.
Today I want to acknowledge the long road of achievements
by women from around the globe.
Achievements that made the world
a little better place for us all
achievements that cannot be rolled back or repealed
that are here to stay
to get stronger, bigger, and bolder
We're here to stand for the right to freedom from violence
for indigenous rights, for workers rights,
for LGBTQI rights
for charter rights, for immigrant rights
disability rights, reproductive rights
for health and environmental justice
because all these represent
our needs and who we are.
We are workers, immigrants,
indigenous, LGBTQI,
we all need to have protected our rights to freedom,
safety, peace, good health.
Today, as every other day,
we stand together as the backbone in our society
supporting the work of women
to make the world a better place
day by day, family by family,
peacefully and patiently.
We, the women of Canada
are women of all races
all religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations,
national origins, marital status, family status,
age, and mental or physical disabilities
and women's rights are an integral part
of human rights.
Today I proudly celebrate
my amazing colleagues who put years of hard work
for us to have a dedicated team of physicians,
nurse practitioners, and support staff
providing free, safe, and accessible
reproductive health services
to the women of Yellowknife and NWT
as well as the women from the Kitikmeot.
I'm also proud to say that the services
provided by our physicians
are better than most of Canada
--applause--
In our small snowy town,
we have created a nest of a birthing place
where women are kindly and compassionately coached
through the hard pangs of labour
while bringing their babies out to the world
We have developed programs
that serve to educate and improve the health
of pregnant women
as well as help create camaraderie among them
which created the space to educate our practitioners
in LGBTQI care
to ensure these members of our community
are treated with dignity and respect
in the medical system.
Many of us have also taken a strong stance
to protect the environment
and uphold the fight for climate change.
We are proud of these victories
but celebrating them does not come at the expense
of recognizing we still have work to do
to ensure medical care in the North
is equitable and accessible to all.
The battle to fairness and dignity
in indigenous peoples' healthcare is ongoing
we now recognize how important
sensitive and culturally responsible medicine is.
We are actively working to build the system
that is based on trust and collaboration
and is reflective of local cultures
with this, I invite us to unite in solidarity
to stand strong and proudly protect all we've built
and all we value
and to continue the legacy of brave, wise women
that paved the way to get us here.
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