Coercion in family planning. (Letters).I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO your attention the coercive practices that have been carried out in Slovakia towards its Roma (Gypsy) communities. Slovak Roma were victims of a forced sterilization sterilization Any surgical procedure intended to end fertility permanently (see contraception). Such operations remove or interrupt the anatomical pathways through which the cells involved in fertilization travel (see reproductive system). policy during the communist regime between 1972 and 1990 when the state offered financial incentives to persons undergoing sterilization. It has been documented that the policy targeted primarily the Roma population. Although the monetary incentives ceased to be provided after the fall of communism, the practice of forced sterilization of Roma still continues. A recent study published by the Center for Reproductive Rights Reproductive rights or procreative liberty is what supporters view as human rights in areas of sexual reproduction. Advocates of reproductive rights support the right to control one's reproductive functions, such as the rights to reproduce (such as opposition to forced and my organization indicates that Roman women in Eastern Slovakia are coerced by medical personnel to consent to sterilization while undergoing caesarian caesarian n. Variant of cesarean. sections. These women are usually coerced to authorize sterilization under the false pretext PRETEXT. The reasons assigned to justify an act, which have only the appearance of truth, and which are without foundation; or which if true are not the true reasons for such act. Vattel, liv. 3, c. 3, 32. that if they do not sign, they will die during the delivery or their next pregnancy will be dangerous for their lives or the life of the fetus fetus, term used to describe the unborn offspring in the uterus of vertebrate animals after the embryonic stage (see embryo). In humans, the fetal stage begins seven to eight weeks after fertilization of the egg, when the embryo assumes the basic shape of the newborn . Many women are forced to sign the consent form while on the operating table and in great pain (undergoing a caesarian section), other women are told to sign documentation authorizing sterilization, after they are sterilized ster·il·ize tr.v. ster·il·ized, ster·il·iz·ing, ster·il·iz·es 1. To make free from live bacteria or other microorganisms. 2. . Slovak society is in general biased against Roma: the size of the Romani population and its growth rate in general are subjects of heightened political and public debate. Over the past decade, politicians have expressed concern over the growing numbers of Romani, planting such fears that in the next couple of decades the Romani population will outnumber out·num·ber tr.v. out·num·bered, out·num·ber·ing, out·num·bers To exceed the number of; be more numerous than. outnumber Verb to exceed in number: the Slovak population. It is the responsibility of the Slovak government to recognize and investigate the violations of Romani women and eradicate these horrendous practices. Unfortunately, so far there is very vague governmental commitment to do so. BARBORA BUKOVSKA Centre for Civil and Human Rights Kosice, Slovakia A full report on these coercive practices can be read at www.reproductiverights.org. |
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