Article: Redressing forced sterilisation: the role of the medical profession

Dr Sunneva Gilmore and Dr Luke Moffett have written an article on reparations for forced sterilisation which has been published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The introduction of the piece is below:

‘Forced sterilisation has been used by many states to control or diminish minority groups. Historic examples of forced sterilisation include those conducted by the Nazis, acting against Jewish, Roma and Sinti peoples, and the Imperial Japanese Army in Korea during the Second World War, its historic use against Native Americans in the USA, and more recent practice in Peru and in First Nations people in Canada. Althoughit is prohibited under international criminal law, forced sterilisation often involves medical practitioners, with little reflection on the context and drivers of such violations beingdemonstrated within the profession. This article sets out thehistoric and contemporary struggles for accountability and redress for forced sterilisation, focusing on the role of medical practitioners in such violations. Drawing from interviews con-ducted in Peru in May 2019, the article also suggests new waysof establishing reparations and offers a critical reflection ofethics for medical practitioners and their role in redress.