Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation Launches Exhibition at the Council of Europe
Council of Europe -
Press
release
15th May
2007
Two members of the
Ostrava-based Group of Women Harmed by
Sterilisation of the civic association Vzájemné soužití (Life
Together) are going to take part in the
Ms Baloghová and Ms
Gorolová will present the Group’s activities, as well as the issue of
involuntary sterilisations in the
In addition to
securing individual apologies from the hospitals involved, the long-term aim of
the Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation and the Vzájemné soužití (“Life
Together”) organization is the achievement of a public apology and eventually
financial compensation for these harms.
After the
successful showings of this exhibition at the Brno-based
The Czech
Ombudsman, in his Final Statement of December 2005, recommended the adoption of
legislative, methodological, and compensation measures with regard to coercive
sterilisations. According to the August 2006 concluding recommendations of the
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the
Czech government should urgently implement the Ombudsman’s suggestions.
According to the March 2007 concluding recommendations of the UN Committee for
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Czech Republic should
acknowledge the wrongs committed against the victims of illegal sterilisation
without delay (whether the cases occurred prior to 1991 or afterward), recognize
the specific situation of Romani women in this regard, and take all necessary
measures to assist the victims in achieving justice and compensation, including
the introduction of clear, obligatory criteria for informed consent. Both
doctors and the general public should be made familiar with these
criteria.
Notes for
editors:
The civic association Life Together is a registered Roma-Czech non-governmental non-profit organisation unaffiliated with any political party which has been active in Ostrava since the floods in the year 1997. Life Together advocates ending the social exclusion of members of the Roma community in the Ostrava region and does its best to create friendly platforms for interaction between the Roma and non-Roma communities. Through the community work method, Life Together tries to improve the social and living conditions of poor families in need. The association’s activities are concentrated on the areas of humanitarian, educational, social and legal counselling, and the issues of housing, employment conflict resolution and human rights. The aim of the association is the strengthening of mutual trust and cooperation.
The
Women's Initiatives Network of the Peacework Development Fund assists women
worldwide who are taking local action to improve their situations. For
further information, please see www.peacework.org