AGAINST HER WILL... The Open Society Foundation
Women worldwide have been forced or coerced by medical
personnel to submit to permanent and irreversible sterilization procedures. Despite
condemnation from the United Nations, cases of forced and coerced sterilization
have been reported in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Women who are poor or stigmatized are most likely to be
deemed “unworthy” of reproduction. Perpetrators are seldomly held accountable
and victims rarely obtain justice for this violent abuse of their rights.
Forced and coerced sterilizations are grave violations of medical ethics and
can be described as acts of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading
treatment. Forcefully ending a woman’s reproductive capacity may lead to
extreme social isolation, family discord or abandonment, fear of medical
professionals, and lifelong grief.
This Open Society Foundations fact sheet provides information on instances of forced sterilization of racial and ethnic minorities, poor women, women living with HIV, and women with disabilities. It also provides recommendations for governments, medical professionals, UN agencies, and donors to end the practice of forced and coerced sterilization.