Photographs from victims of forced sterilization in the Czech Republic will be on display in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic beginning 11 December 2006. The exhibition, entitled "The World through the Eyes of Victims of Involuntary Sterilization," is displayed with the support of Parlimentarian Kateøina Jacques with financial support from the United States Embassy. The photographs aim to display the world as such victims perceive them, including current court proceedings with the Czech hospitals that performed sterilization against their will. The exhibition hopes to remind the public that the women who are suffering these acts are , but also to serve as a reminder that their physical and psychological integrity has been violated by illegal medical interventions.
Holding an exhibtion in the Chamber of Deputies will act as a reminder and a call to action for high level government officials. Many officials have largely dismissed this as a problem, despite its recognition as a problem and recommendations to address it by the Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) last year. Illegal sterilization has also received international attention, with CEDAW calling on Czech leaders to recognize and adhere to the Ombudsman's recommendation.
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Compiled from: "Czech Republic - Group of Women Harmed by Sterilization Exhibits Photos in the Czech Chamber of Deputies" http://vzajemnesouziti.cz/ 1 December 2006