Forced Sterilization Plaintiff Yumi Suzuki Named an “Influential and inspiring woman” by the BBC

By Barrier Free Japan, extract from Kyodo

December 3 2024

LONDON – Yumi Suzuki, one of the plaintiffs who sued the Japanese government over forced sterilization under the now-defunct eugenics protection law was selected for the BBC’s annual list of “influential and inspiring women” around the world on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in July and ordered the government to pay damages.

Suzuki was born with cerebral palsy and underwent forced sterilization at the age of 12. Under the law that was in effect between 1948 and 1996, people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses, or hereditary disorders were sterilized without their consent to prevent the birth of “inferior” offspring.

The theme of this year’s selection was “resilience,” highlighting the women who “are pushing for change and improving lives at community or global level.”