On April 22, more than a thousand people marched along the
streets of Taksim Square in Istanbul to demand full economic,
political, and human rights for women. Many demonstrators
highlighted the problem of forced and coerced sterilization,
which disproportionately affects poor and marginalized women. As
illustrated by the Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care—which
views forced sterilization as one of the most egregious examples
of degrading and abusive treatment in health care—this coercive
practice deprives women of their agency over their reproductive
choices, denying their fundamental human rights and reproductive
justice. Demonstrators in Taksim Square held signs bearing the
phrase “Forced Sterilisation is Torture” and called for an end
to this gross violation of human rights. The march and
demonstration marked the culmination of the 12th AWID
International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development. At the
forum, we spoke to many participants who suspected that coercive
sterilization practices were happe