Good afternoon.
Welcome to the 127th meeting of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. This meeting is being televised.
Following the motion adopted by the committee on December 3, 2018, today officials from the Department of Indigenous Services Canada will provide the committee with a briefing on the government's efforts to immediately end the practice of forced and coerced sterilization of indigenous women.
For this, I am pleased to welcome Valerie Gideon, senior assistant deputy minister, first nations and Inuit health branch; and Katherine Cole, senior manager, first nations and Inuit health branch.
I am going to turn the floor over to you for opening statements. You have approximately 10 minutes.