Europe's hidden shame: Forced sterilisation of women with disabilities is still a concern

Rosario never thought she would want to be a mother until she met Antonio. The moment she saw him at the occupational centre she fell in love.

This was just after she turned 20 and they have been together ever since. Both have a 67% intellectual disability which allows them to be independent and work.

The idea of being a mother was a shock for her parents who didn’t consider her capable of raising a child. After pressuring her to end her relationship with Antonio, they decided to shatter her dream.

Advised by their family doctor, they chose to sterilise Rosario. No one explained the operation or its consequences to her. Her mother threatened to stop her from seeing Antonio again and put her in an institution if she refused to go to hospital.

Up until two years ago, the forced sterilisation of people with disabilities was legal in Spain, so Rosario’s parents just needed judicial authorisation to start the procedure.

However, the practice remains legal in much of the European Union. It is against the law in only nine countries despite contravening the Istanbul Convention and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Portugal, Hungary and the Czech Republic are the only three Member States that allow sterilisation of minors.

The day after she underwent surgery, Rosario saw the scar on her body.

"I asked myself: 'What have they done with my life? Am I useless? Can everyone be a mother except me? Since then, I feel empty every day of my life," she told Euronews.

The "little affection" she had for her parents died after she was sterilised.

"I don't have a conversation like father and daughter. I don't trust anyone anymore, nor do I want to," she adds.

The absence of common legislation in Europe leaves the