Elena Gorolová
Elena Gorolová (2 January 1969) is a Czech human rights defender. She works as a social worker in Ostrava and is of Roma origins.[1]
At the age of 21, she was forcibly sterilized in hospital after giving birth to her second son. She had hoped to have another child and had not given her informed consent to the procedure.[2] In the year 2005 Elena was one of the 87 Czech women complaining of being forcibly sterilized.[3]
Since then, she has campaigned against forced sterilization and discrimination against Roma women in Czechia and advocating for redress and awareness of forced sterilizations. She is the spokesperson for the Group of Women Harmed by Forced Sterilization and a member of Czech organization Vzájemné soužití (Life Together).[4][5][6]
In November 2018, she was recognized as one of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2018 published by the BBC.[7]
References
- Amnesty International (April 2018). "Challenging power" (PDF). The Wire. April - June 2018.
- ""We have succeeded by speaking out"". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- Fighting for the fundamental right of a woman’s right to choose
- "Elena Gorolová, a Roma in the Czech Republic". United Nations. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- "Elena Gorolová on forced sterilizations: We seek compensation, nobody will ever restore our motherhood". Romea. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- "Spokesperson for the Group of Women Harmed by Forced Sterilization travels to Geneva". romove.radio.cz. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- Romani activist Elena Gorolová is one of 100 Inspiring Women on the BBC's list for 2018