Sex [Work] and [Structural] Violence

This chapter argues that while some of the gaps in health status between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations have narrowed in terms of health status and social and economic development, the improvements have been uneven and new inequalities in health and well-being have emerged, particularly among Aboriginal youth. It explains these gaps through both historical and current lenses of racism and racist strategies that hold back widespread improvements in health and the development of Aboriginal Peoples. The socioeconomic inequalities experienced by Aboriginal youth are immense and unfortunately many Aboriginal youth are born into a life of disadvantage. Living below the low-income-cut-off is a reality for many Aboriginal peoples. Undoubtedly, a life of poverty can severely impact one's health and development. Research has shown that very early on an individual's social economic status (SES) can have direct impacts upon health and well-being and that poverty in childhood can have long-lasting effects into adulthood.