Nunavut women's association releases poverty report, but advocates want to see action

Amautiit, a Nunavut Inuit Women's Association, has released its first report card on child poverty in the territory, but some advocates want to see governments take action on what is already known as a long-standing issue. 

The research, released alongside the advocacy group Campaign 2000, looks at poverty rates among Inuit children and families in Nunavut.

Amautiit's president Jasmine Redfern said the findings won't be surprising to anybody who interacts with social services. 

But what struck her was the rate of food insecurity in the territory since Nutrition North was introduced in 2011. 

Despite the program "having undergone several revisions, food insecurity is actually at an all-time high of almost 50 per cent," she said.

Jane Bates, Nunavut's representative for children and youth said she's disappointed to see this report confirming what most Nunavummiut already know.

Bates said she wants to see a comprehensive action plan from different governments. 

"The government needs to come together to come up with a strategy, a plan, with measurable outcomes and goals … to really address all of these issues. I think sometimes you're only looking at poverty. All of these issues are interconnected," Bates said.

Mary Anne Walker, chair of the Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank board, said another report is all and well, but what Nunavummiut need is action. 

"When we look at the report, it has information that has been there from every other report that's been published, the same information. But what good are numbers if we don't find the solutions to address the numbers?" she said. 

The government of Nunavut introduced the Collaboration for Poverty Reduction Act in 2013, which requires action plans every five years. 

Margaret Nakashuk, the territory's poverty reduction minister, was not available for an interview. Kerry McCluskey, a spokesperson for Nakashuk, said the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction "has expressed a definition of poverty" and outlined "what communities have expressed is needed to reduce poverty in Nunavut."

McCluskey also said Nunavut's income assistance office has "detailed data" mentioned in the report and that Family Services will "provide a more detailed report moving forward."

Beyond the number of people on social assistance, the report said it's difficult to access more detailed data, like a breakdown of poverty rates across different demographics or communities.