This article, published in the June 2012 issue of marie claire magazine, looks at the issue of forced and coerced sterilisation of girls and women with disabilities in Australia. It examines the issues from a range of perspectives – that of Bella, a 34 year old disabled woman who was forcibly sterilised as a child; Claire, a mother seeking sterilisation for her 26 year old disabled daughter; and Amanda, a 29 year old woman with a mild intellectual disability who is successfully raising her twin daughters. The article also includes interviews with a number of people with an interest in the issue, including WWDA CEO Carolyn Frohmader, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes; Senator Sue Boyce; disability activist Stella Young; Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn; Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Dr Steve Hambleton; Guardianship Board President, Anita Smith; and Dr Margaret Spencer, from the Intellectual Disability Rights Service. Copyright marie claire June 2012.
