There are women in Namibia whose reproductive rights are being violated. Women with HIV and being forced to get sterilized, despite there being no sound medical basis for the procedure. At least some women have been sterilized without full understanding of or agreement to the procedure. Three of the women are suing the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services for “alleged violation of their right to dignity, non-discrimination and the right to start a family.” In June 2010, hundreds of protesters rallied behind the women to end the practice of forced sterilization of HIV-positive patients.
Source: Clyde, Don. (2010, Jun 3). “HIV-positive women sue Namibian government over forced
Sterilization.” Newsdesk.org http://newsdesk.org/2010/06/hiv-positive-women-sue-namibian-government-over-forced-sterilization/
Student Researcher: Ashley Benoit
Faculty Instructor: Dr. Christina Knopf, Department of English & Communication, SUNY Potsdam