Contributed by: Sylvia Kralova, Slovakia National VAW Monitor
The second joint meeting of Romani women from Slovakia and the Czech Republic affected by the practice of forced and coerced sterilizations took place in Presov on 6th – 7th June 2008.
The aim of this meeting was to offer these Romani women an opportunity to develop relations with one another and to express mutual support and solidarity. The meeting was organized by the Centre for Civil and Human Rights, an NGO, and funded by the Slovak and Czech Women’s Fund.
The aggrieved Romani women and the Centre for Civil and Human Rights both expressed the view that, in a developed democratic country like Slovakia, the issue of forced and coerced sterilizations of Romani women should have its place in discussions at the political level. The Centre for Civil and Human Rights and the participants therefore urge the Slovak government to adopt a comprehensive mechanism, including the set-up of an independent commission consisting of international experts and civic society, which would enable a transparent investigation into this practice and a compensation of the victims.
Compiled from: “Sterilized Romani Women Meet Again,” Centre for Civil and Human Rights, CHANGENET, 9 June 2008.