Forced sterilization
Elena Gorolová was born in Slovakia in 1953. She has worked for years with other activists and organisations to ensure that victims of forced sterilisation are compensated and that those responsible are held accountable. She was one of the first women to speak publicly about her own forced sterilization. On 24 September 1990, at the age of 21, she was sterilized against her will. Hundreds of these illegal procedures were carried out on Romnja between 1966 and 2012 in Czechoslovakia, later the Czech Republic.
Thanks to her tireless commitment and perseverance, Gorolová has contributed to the fact that the practice of forced sterilisation in the Czech Republic is now considered a violation of the human rights and dignity of women. Since 2022, compensation has finally been possible.