Two Indigenous women allege they were sterilized in Manitoba hospitals against their own will, and without free, proper and informed consent, according to court documents filed late last month.

The allegations, part of a proposed class-action lawsuit, are contained in a motion filed by their lawyers seeking a publication ban on their identities.

According to the motion, one of the women alleges she was sterilized in a Brandon area hospital in 1985 following the birth of her fourth child. A second woman alleges she was sterilized in a Winnipeg hospital in 2018 following the birth of her second child.

“They claim that the sterilizations were done against their will and without free, proper and informed consent, allegations which form the basis of the Statement of Claim concurrently brought to the Court’s attention,” the motion reads. 

The motion also claims the woman who alleges she was sterilized in 1985 in Brandon has experienced psychological and mental anguish and anxiety that includes a persisting inability to trust doctors and nurses and a loss of faith in her spirituality. And that the woman who alleges she was sterilized in 2018 in Winnipeg has experienced hormonal imbalance, extreme mood swings, and weight gain. She also reported experiencing significant anxiety, difficulty trusting people, and has lost her sense of identity as a woman.

An interim order bans any publication of the names and identities of the women.

The request for a publication ban will be heard by a judge later this week.

The Attorney General of Canada, Manitoba government, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Prairie Mountain Health are among the defendants named in the lawsuit.

None of the allegations has been tested in court and no statements of defence have been filed. 

A spokesperson for the province said it has not yet been formally served with the statement of claim.

“Once that happens, we will review to determine the province’s position,” the spokesperson said. “Since this is an ongoing matter before the court, we are unable to comment further.”

The WRHA and Prairie Mountain Health declined comment.

Indigenous Services Canada said in an email to CTV Winnipeg Tuesday afternoon it’s looking into the matter and will respond as soon as possible.