Protest to Sweden on Forced Sterilisation

LATEST (21 February): The Christian Democratic Party has announced that it will abolish the requirement for compulsory sterilization of people undergoing a sex correction – see here.

In Sweden people who have their gender reassigned from male to female or vice-versa are forced by law to be permanently sterilised.  The EHF has sent a protest to the Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, who – apparently for political reasons – is refusing to amend the law.

Our message was as follows:

The European Humanist Federation unites over 50 organisations in over 20 countries, with contacts in many more.  Our purpose is to represent the views of people who have no religion (maybe one-third of all Europeans) but hold non-religious beliefs such as Humanism, and to promote secularism, i.e., separation of politics from religion and belief, on a basis of equality and human rights.  We are recognised by the European Union for dialogue under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

We are shocked to learn that Sweden has a law requiring that people having their gender re-assigned are compelled to be sterilised.  We are even more shocked that your Government is defending this law and refusing to go along with the majority of Parliament that is in favour of repeal.

We urge you, as the elected leader of a country that rightfully takes pride in its human rights record, to change your stance and repeal the law without delay.

This content last updated 6 February 2013 @ 12:49 pm