On 12 June 2023, we met with members of the Slovak parliament to discuss our comments on the draft law on compensation for illegally sterilized women, which has already been approved at first reading within legislative proces.

Our principal objections to the draft law are as follows:

  • we propose that the Ministry of Justice, and not the Ministry of Health, should decide on compensation,
  • an increase in the amount of compensation from €5 000 to at least €10 000,
  • the establishment of a multidisciplinary commission to support the Ministry in deciding on the claims of injured women,
  • when making decisions, the focus should not be on whether there is a signature on the application, but on the circumstances in which it was granted and whether it was preceded by a guidance form mediacl personnel.

In addition to the informal working meeting, we also attended together with the illegally sterilised Roma women a meeting of the Parliamentary Health and Human Rights Committees, which were discussing the draft law.

We hope that our comments will be taken into account by the relevant parliamentary committees and by the MPs and that they will still be incorporated in the draft law, which will thus bring justice to the widest possible range of injured women.