For Kearie Daniel, the push for health equity began long before she entered advocacy. Her experiences growing up, witnessing barriers in education and hearing about discrimination faced by family members in healthcare, shaped a broader understanding of how systems can influence opportunities and outcomes.

Today, as executive director of the Black Women’s Institute for Health, Daniel is helping lead conversations around improving health outcomes and access to care for Black women across Canada.

Her advocacy grew from both personal experience and community work. After supporting families through local initiatives, Daniel began examining the availability of research focused specifically on Black women’s health and mental well-being in Canada. Finding limited dedicated data, she recognized the need for stronger evidence and broader visibility.

That effort contributed to a national survey collecting experiences from nearly 2,000 Black women, girls, and gender-diverse people across Canada. The findings explored experiences across healthcare access, mental wellness, education, employment, and broader social conditions that influence health outcomes.

The results highlighted concerns around delayed healthcare access, feeling unheard in medical settings, and challenges in seeking support early. Advocates argue these barriers can lead to more complex health outcomes over time and increase pressure on healthcare systems.

A central recommendation emerging from the work is greater collection and use of race-based health data to better understand patterns in care, identify gaps, and improve accountability.

Supporters of the initiative say that improving cultural awareness in healthcare and strengthening data collection can help build systems that respond more effectively to diverse patient experiences.

The movement continues to call for collaboration across governments, healthcare institutions, researchers, and community organizations to develop long-term solutions that improve health outcomes while strengthening trust in the healthcare system.

Advocates emphasize that creating more equitable systems can generate broader benefits by improving care standards and access for all communities.