Research Reflections: Advancing linguistic and epistemic equity for sex, gender and diversity in oncology care research: Moving forward and together as a community

Billy Vinette, Wing Lam Tock, Ricardo Souza Evangelista Sant’Ana, Christine Cassivi, Manon Lemonde, Christine Maheu

Abstract


In recent years, equity issues have taken on great importance, particularly in the field of oncology. Indeed, Canada has faced significant challenges, including global migration, limited resources, and climate changes that have exerted undeniable impacts on equity in cancer care services. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant milestone that exacerbated many pre-existing health inequities. Despite these challenges, oncology nurse researchers shoulder the responsibility to contribute to health and epistemic equity (i.e., creation, usage, and diffusion of knowledge). This responsibility transcends Canada’s official languages (French and English), reflecting Canada’s rich linguistic diversity, with more than 4.6 million individuals (12.7%) primarily using languages other than English or French at home, such as Mandarin, Yue, Cree languages, and many more (Statistics Canada, 2022). Numerous researchers, including those featured in this journal, have taken a proactive stance in raising awareness and advocating for improved oncology research on health and epistemic equity (Varcoe et al., 2015; Winkfield et al., 2020). Alongside scholars and researchers, numerous national and international organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, have also expressed a commitment to address this crucial issue.


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References


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