June 23, 2006
Forced Sterilization of Romani Women Continues
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=9728
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http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=9728>
Despite a report confirming the continued use of
coercive sterilization
on Roma (Gypsy) women, women's advocates charge that
the Czech
government has failed to take action to stop these
atrocities. In December of
2005, Czech ombudsman, Otakar Motejl, released a
report that cites
dozens of cases of sterilization of Roma women between
the years 1979 and
2001 in which "no consent for sterilization was given
that would be free
of error and fully unrestrained," reports the
Associated Press. Motejl
recommends that the Czech government mandate informed
consent, improve
methods of providing accurate information to Roma
women, and develop a
plan to provide compensation to victims.
Despite the release of Motejl's detailed report six
months ago,
coercive sterilization of Roma women is still taking
place and the Czech
government has taken only token steps to address the
problem, according to
Newsdesk.org. The Czech Health Ministry acknowledges
sterilization
procedures were not followed properly, but refuses to
provide compensation
to victims, according to the Associated Press.
Furthermore, many
hospitals continue to deny that their actions were
illegal, claiming medical
reasons for sterilization. Advocates for the victims'
say that the real
reason for the practice is racism, reports the
Associated Press.
In response to their unjust treatment, many Roma women
are now taking
their cases to court. In 2005, Helena Ferencikova
became the first Roma
woman to sue the hospital that sterilized her. The
District Court of
Ostrava in Czech Republic ruled that the hospital
should acknowledge
malpractice and must issue her a formal apology. The
hospital denied
Ferencikova's demand for compensation, and both
parties are appealing.
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