Thank you, Madam Chair.
We are learning today—actually, we already knew—that women’s mental load knows no borders. It extends everywhere, all the way into the far north.
Ms. Kewayosh, you talked about the enormous mental burden carried by our grandmothers and our great-grandmothers, and the burden women may carry today.
I thank this wonderful panel of witnesses for being with us today. You are very busy women. You save lives every day, which we don’t do. Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with us today.
I am a little upset about the guidelines the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care wants to maintain. In any case, those are the signals we’ve been getting. Clearly, this working group unanimously rejected the recommendation to allow systematic screening, if women so wish, from the age of 40. What I want to say to them today, and I am certain my colleagues all agree, is that the service should instead be made available to women, and they should be left to make their own decisions. Stop infantilizing women. When women see their doctor and they have a urinary tract infection or severe menopause symptoms, everyone contradicts them. They know their body and, most of the time, they know what is happening to them. It seems to me we should put this service in place and tell women that, because it is their body, it is up to them to decide whether or not they want a mammogram or a screening test.
I cannot believe that today, they’re still saying that if women don’t get diagnosed and don’t access the system for early screening, it is because they are afraid of what they might see or hear, or because they may experience stress or anxiety.
I do not believe that. It is impossible. Some of the women I know, both young and less young, went through that experience. Not a single one of them fails to thank the heavens above for being able to get screened and get a much earlier diagnosis. Furthermore, we know that when breast cancer is detected early, it is easier to treat.
Ms. Daniel, you told us today you think the chair of the working group believes that women don’t want to know. I am sorry, but I do not agree. All throughout this study, not a single person said that to us. Not a single member of the committee said it either. I am sure it is not true.
Ms. Kewayosh and Ms. Daniel, if I correctly understood what you are telling us today, breast cancer is a taboo subject among Indigenous people. That is why some women may not want to get a diagnosis. In fact, you said that during our first meeting.
For your part, Ms. Daniel, you told us a kind of curse is associated with this knowledge, as well as a stigma. This is a barrier that could certainly be removed, specifically by using awareness and communication campaigns. Do you not agree?
Also, have you approached the government or other authorities so that we can solve this problem?
Ms. Kewayosh, I invite you to answer first.