On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the European Parliament’s Disability Intergroup expresses grave concern about the practice of forced sterilisation that still affects persons with disabilities in the European Union. The Intergroup is ready to work on the proposed Directive on combating violence against women to ban this barbarous practice.
According to a recent report of the European Disability Forum, at least 13 EU Member States still authorise the forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities under ‘legal incapacitation’. In some countries, sterilisation can also be performed on minors. Beyond these countries, this irreversible practice may still happen behind closed doors, under the pressure of residential institutions and/or families of persons with disabilities.
Women and girls with disabilities are more at risk of this practice because they are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, and of becoming pregnant. They also face other harmful practices such as forced contraception and forced abortion, which violate their sexual and reproductive rights.
As the EU is negotiating the new proposed legislation that aims at combating violence against women, the Intergroup calls for the criminalisation of forced sterilisation under the proposal. Members States of the European Union should also take national measures to prevent, combat, criminalised, and sanction sterilisation performed without the direct, free and informed consent of the person.
The Intergroup recalls that the EU and all its Member States have committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and that forced sterilisation could amount to torture, according to the United Nations.