More information
Description
In the Czech Republic, about 7,000 victims (mainly Romani women and women with disabilities) were involuntarily sterilized. After a long call by international organizations for creating a mechanism for compensating illegally sterilized women (for example, CEDAW: https://bit.ly/3lfs2qo), the law on compensation for women sterilized against the law (https://bit.ly/3eCS8lU) passed the first reading 10. 3. 2021. The law has significant support across the political spectrum, so we believe that it will be approved soon.
Victims of illegal sterilizations have been waiting for compensation for decades and an estimated 400 women will want to apply for it. As they often have low socio-economic status, old age and unfavorable health, they will need help applying for compensation. The aim of the project is to provide them with legal assistance and necessary support in cooperation with the partner organization Vzájemné soužití. The assistance will be provided by a team consisting of lawyers, key sterilization representative Elena Gorolová, peer-to-peer workers from the ranks of involuntarily sterilized women and a coordinator. The Center for Women''s Aid will be in Ostrava and Brno. The team will create a practical guide on how to effectively seek redress.
There are other forms of obstetric violence that are ill-treatment, which is newly acknowledged by the Office of the Government in its latest strategy (https://bit.ly/38FPmZz), which aims, among other things, to implement the UN Special Rapporteur''s recommendations on violence against women. In line with this strategy, the project''s lawyers will provide legal assistance to victims of obstetric violence, targeting also disadvantaged women, to achieve remedial action and systemic change. We will also train suitable health professionals as well as other lawyers in the field of obstetric violence. We will organize two summer schools for students that will reflect both illegal sterilization and other forms of obstetric violence.