Report on Coerced Sterilization in Slovakia Leads to Exposure of Issue throughout the Region

In 2002, the Center for Reproductive Rights, together with its partner Poradna, conducted a fact finding mission into the forced and coerced sterilization of Roma women in public hospitals in eastern Slovakia. The report Body and Soul: Forced Sterilization and Other Assaults on Roma Reproductive Freedom documented the mission’s findings, outlined international human rights standards on this issue, and discussed how national law was insufficiently protecting women’s rights.

Body and Soul garnered a lot of international attention, which led to the practice ceasing and passage of strong legislation on sterilization and informed consent in Slovakia in 2004. The Center’s advocacy at the United Nations led to concluding observations from the Human Rights Committee (2003), CERD Committee (2004), and CEDAW (2008), all recognizing the need for the Slovak state to address these human rights violations through legislative and other reforms.

In addition to effecting change in Slovakia, the report and advocacy have made an impact throughout the region. The Czech Ombudsman for Human Rights, for example, wrote a report in 2006 identifying the problem of forced and coerced sterilization of Roma women there and called on the government to address the issue. As a result, in November 2009 the Czech Republic apologized for the practice and called for measures taken to prevent the practice. In Hungary, a Roma woman filed a complaint regarding coerced sterilization to the CEDAW committee and won her case in 2006. 
Despite the successes, serious challenges remain. For example, although the Slovak government changed its law on informed consent and sterilization, it has yet to provide compensation to women despite a Constitutional Court decision requiring it. A decision from the European Court of Human Rights in April 2009 found Slovakia in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights for denying women who have been allegedly sterilized without their consent access to their medical records. The Center was involved in the development of the case which arose out of the fact finding mission and Body and Soul report.