HIV women sterilisation case to start

A group of women claiming they were forcefully sterilised to stop them from conceiving due to their HIV status will be back in court Tuesday to argue their case.

The women, only identified as SWK, PAK, KWK and AMM filed the petition in conjunction with the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS (KELIN) and the African Gender and Media Initiative Trust.

The women allege they were forced to undergo bilateral tubal ligation at Pumwani Maternity Hospital upon being referred there by Blue House Mathare Clinic, a medical centre run by Medecins Sans Frontieres of France.

According to the two civil society groups, the case of the four women was just a small portion of the sampling of 40 women living with HIV who confirmed they were coerced to accept permanent sterilisation procedures in various health facilities across the country.

“The act of coercive and forceful sterilization of women living with HIV by way of bilateral tubal ligation without their informed consent, and the threat of withholding aid if they do not go through the process is degrading and an abuse of their dignity,” said their lawyer Allan Maleche.

The women swore that the forced sterilisation had caused them suffering, trauma, emotional torture and threats of their marriages falling apart due to pressure from their husbands who want more children.

The petitioners are seeking a declaration that forceful sterilisation and withholding of aid as condition for assistance from some health facilities was unconstitutional and violation of international health standards.

They want compensation for all women who have undergone forceful sterilisation.

Those listed as respondents in the suit are Medecines Sans Frontiers – France, Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Maries Stopes International, and the Ministry of Health.