Grant: Project Grant

Indigenous women have traditionally held essential leadership and decision-making roles in their families and communities within Indigenous societies. Through colonization, patriarchy and persistent structural inequities, Indigenous women continue to struggle to have their voices heard and have been made virtually invisible in health service planning and program development. Indigenous women are overrepresented among victims of violence and infectious diseases such as HIV. The few Indigenous-women-led interventions aimed to improve the wellness of Indigenous women through a wholistic cultural perspective have recognized that effective HIV-related programs and services should build on Indigenous women's strengths, embedding cultural knowledge and assets within program and service design and delivery. Additionally, Indigenous women have been voicing the need for culturally grounded and gender-based HIV programs and services. Primary healthcare research scholars have recommended culturally responsive approaches to care as a wise practice for Indigenous people experiencing health inequities. Culturally responsive approaches to care are strengths-based and spiritually grounded, and incorporate cultural safety, contextually- and community-tailored care, trauma- and violence-informed care, and harm reduction. The current research team will build upon this theoretical approach by incorporating Indigenous culture-based and gender-informed approaches. The research team is comprised of Indigenous women leaders in health and wellness along with non-Indigenous women, with some enlightened men, working together in solidarity. The aim of the project is to improve the wellness of Indigenous women living with HIV in SK and BC whose needs are not being met by multiple systems of care. Innovative and culturally grounded Indigenous approaches will be used to promote self-determining and wholistic health and wellness.