It's about “BIPOC”—Black, indigenous, people of colour. Stop using that terminology. The communities do not want it. It separates us. It's divisive. It is another way in which the government can say, “Oh, we've already done that for them.” Well, we're not all “them”.
I'm indigenous. I'm also black. Huh? That's another story. It's very divisive, so just stop.
Now, are you ready for the other part?
Boozhoo Migizi-ikwe indegneecas, ogichidaawikwe, mong doodem.
I bring greetings to this gathering located on the traditional, unceded, unsurrendered territories of the Anishinabe and Algonquin peoples from Treaty 1 territories located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinabe, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene, Cree and Inuit nations and the homeland of the Red River Métis from Manitoba.
With respect to the spirit and intent of the treaties and the treaty-making process, I remain committed to working in partnership with new arrivals to our lands in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration. The topics I chose to speak to you about today are physical health, mental health, some safety concerns and sexual trauma during service.
Female health is at the top of the list, as is the lack of proper accommodations for personal needs. It is painfully evident that those in command do not understand the personal needs of their female soldiers. During field operations, not being allowed a simple blanket to shield a female soldier while using the toilet is seen as a sign of disrespect and harassment, and the female requesting such is usually tormented and picked on.
There is a lack of understanding of the extended wear of a personal hygiene product and how dangerous that is. Further to the lack of accommodations is the lack of understanding of the dangers for the female soldier. We're not allowed to change personal hygiene products. Prolonged wear of such items can result in toxic shock, which is clearly stated on the Tampax box itself, which gives the instructions, “Don't wear this longer than eight hours”.
I've had several female soldiers who have been deployed into rural areas or into active combat areas who have had locals come to them who were scared because they noticed the stain on their pants and thought they'd been hit by a bullet or a ricochet or something, so this is something that needs to be addressed. It needs to be looked at. The harassment that women go through during that time of the month should not be happening.
The lack of recognition of the health needs of the mature females in the forces is clearly documented. Around the time of menopause, many females experience physical symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, which are normal things that we all have to go through, and there's nothing you can do about it. However, the impact on the person's quality of life and the range of this stuff becomes very severe. It can be from mild to severe. It starts perhaps in the 30s, and it's inevitable.
Now, not to let you guys off easy, but you also go through something, and it's not being recognized either. It's called andropause. You might know it as the “little red convertible syndrome”.