I was crying and asking them please not to put me to sleep. I was saying please let me have a child, only one (…) every time I see the scar, I feel like dying.
Today, we launch the briefing “ A silenced truth: stories of forced sterilisation in the EU”, a collection of cases that exposes the horrific consequences of this (still) legal practice.
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we reaffirm our call on the EU and its member countries to criminalise forced sterilisation. We need criminalisation at the EU level under the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence and with strong national laws to ensure this dreadful practice becomes the past, and victims are compensated.
I was not happy… I wanted children and I find this (procedure) unfair. (…) I want to be like everyone else.
We applaud the increased public attention to this horrendous abuse, especially the role of several media outlets in uncovering specific stories and reporting on the consequences of forced sterilisation.
We commend these outlets for their dedication to sharing these stories and how the practice has a long-lasting impact on women and girls with disabilities. In this briefing, we collect some examples, including histories from Euronews and ZDF.
We also provide a way forward. The report shows that a few countries, such as Malta, Sweden, Spain and Czechia, undertook actions that must be replicated by the European Union and other countries that are lagging behind.
Pirkko Mahlamäki, Chair of the EDF’s Women Committee, said:
The European Union has the power to end the ongoing suffering of countless women and girls with disabilities – it is time to use it! We simply want the EU and its countries to respect our rights as women and girls!
Related documents
- Briefing “A silenced truth: stories of forced sterilisation in the EU”
- European Disability Forum’s campaign to end forced sterilisation.
- Report “Forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities in the European Union (PDF)
- Petition “End forced sterilisation in the EU now!”
Contacts
André Félix
Communications Coordinator
Marine Uldry
Human Rights Policy Coordinator
marine.uldry@edf-feph.org