The women, represented by Her Rights Initiative, penned an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa to speed up the process of redressing the matter.
JOHANNESBURG – Nearly 100 HIV-positive women want a formal apology and compensation from the government following claims of forced sterilisations at several state hospitals.
Their pleas to authorities came almost three years after the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) released a report with damning findings about the practice at some government facilities.
The women, represented by Her Rights Initiative, penned an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa to speed up the process of redressing the matter.
The 85 women who were forcefully sterilised want Ramaphosa to institute a judicial redress and compensation process for them.
The CGE released the report containing recommendations in February 2020.
According to the report, the women were discriminated against because of their HIV status and gender.
Its recommendations included calls for the Department of Health to further investigate the matter and to take steps to eradicate forced sterilisations.
But the survivors of forced sterilisation accused the government of dragging its feet in the matter.
“Mr President, please assist us,” said Primrose Mthembu.
The calls for the government to act came as the country continued observing 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
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