Past Events
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Film Screening: They Took My Choice Away
| Location: | OSI-New York |
| Event Date: | March 1, 2012 |
The Open Society Foundations present the premiere of They Took My Choice Away, a short film about forced sterilization in Namibia. The premiere will include a discussion with filmmaker Bob Sacha.
The film features Hilma Nendongo, a mother of two young boys who was sterilized without her consent in a state hospital. She shares the pain and shock she felt when she was told by a nurse after the operation that she had been “closed” and could have no more children. The doctor sterilized Hilma because she is HIV-positive, despite the fact that she is on antiretroviral treatment and her sons do not have the virus. Hilma’s story of forced sterilization and its devastating psychological and social impacts is echoed by many women living with HIV in Namibia. Others share their experiences of shame and abandonment during a support group meeting.
Forced and coerced sterilizations are a grave violation of human rights and medical ethics and can be described as acts of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. Although sterilization may be carried out by individual health providers, it is ultimately the responsibility of governments to prevent such abuses from taking place.
The film was produced as part of the Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care, which works worldwide to hold governments accountable for human rights violations and abuses in health care settings.
