PRESS RELEASE

October 13th 2008


To whom it may concern,

we are addressing you in regards to the Treatment of Infertility and Procedures of Insemination by Biomedical Assistance Bill created and put into the parliamentary procedure by the Social Democrat Party (SDP). Namely, the above mentioned Bill will be discussed at the present session of the Croatian Parliament.

We condemn the shallow and irresponsible way in which the SDP approached very serious issue of reproductive rights of women. Above mentioned Bill denies the right to medically assisted insemination to single women, and is therefore contrary to the positive Croatian legislation. The Croatian Parliament adopted the Gender Equality Act in June 2003 with the aim of protection of women from discrimination in all spheres of life (including reproductive rights), especially in regards to their marital and family status. Marital status of women can not be a ground for limitation of their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their bodies and reproduction. Reproductive rights should be guaranteed to all women, and not only to women who are married or living in heterosexual extramarital unions.

We find especially alarming the fact that „early fetus“ (up to 14 days) is referred to in the Bill as a person. It is said that after 10 years since the day of storage, „early fetus should be left to die“. Word „to die“ according to the rules of the Croatian language is used only for human beings. This puts the SDP in the line of those that speak of life from conception to death.

Best regards,

Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra

Kristijan Grđan,
Coordinator of Iskorak

Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of Women's Network of Croatia