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Forced and coerced sterilization of women in Europe
Author(s) -
Zampas Christina,
Lamačková Adriana
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.05.002
Subject(s) - medicine , sterilization (economics) , female sterilization , family medicine , family planning , environmental health , population , research methodology , foreign exchange market , monetary economics , economics , foreign exchange
Human rights provisions in laws set by international treaties and national legislatures make individuals’ informed and freely given consent a precondition to the legality of their sterilization. Nevertheless, evidence shows that sterilizations have been undertaken by forceful means or coerced acceptance, to which women do not genuinely consent. The women are often members of ethnic minorities in their countries, such as Roma women, or adolescent or disabled women. Some European governments have acknowledged their responsibility for human rights abuses by forced and coerced sterilization of vulnerable women, and committees established by international human rights treaties to monitor states’ compliance with their standards are increasingly vigilant to expose and condemn wrongful sterilization. For instance, the committee monitoring compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights provide guidance for the prevention of violations.