Dutch probe: WWF sterilizing women in India, Africa

World
Europe

An extensive probe found a leading wildlife conservation organization involved in sterilizing women residing around forest areas and executing shoot-at-sight orders in the forests of Africa and India.

The investigation by Dutch television Zembla revealed the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) was enforcing family planning programs in protected forest areas with an aim of reducing the local population.

Survival International Director, Stephen Corry termed the controversial sterilization policy “utterly unethical.”

"Can you imagine WWF promoting the sterilization of women living around national parks in Europe or the U.S.? The fact they consider it acceptable in India and Africa is racism, pure and simple,” Corry said.

Historically, a large number of indigenous populations were subjected to forced sterilization in many countries, including Native Americans in the U.S.

Recently, tribal groups in India, Brazil, and Colombia are in the front line of what campaigners have called “the biggest global assault on indigenous rights for 50 years.”

In response to the investigative series, WWF said that it has no involvement with medical care, such as someone's wish to use "anti-conception."

“This is the responsibility of a doctor. WWF is working on hundreds of projects in more than 100 countries, three of which are combined Population Health Environment (PHE) projects: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Cameroon,” WWF said.

An earlier investigation by Buzzfeed revealed large-scale human rights violation by WWF personnel during conservation drives in the forests of India, Nepal, and Africa.

It also found the conservation charity acting like a global “spymaster” beating, illegally confining and committing atrocities on indigenous communities residing inside or on the periphery of forest areas.

The “violation of human rights is unacceptable,” WWF said.

"Our employees must adhere to strict guidelines that must guarantee the rights and well-being of indigenous people and local communities. Our partners, such as rangers in the field, must also adhere to this," an official statement maintained.

“WWF is currently having independent investigations carried out into a number of allegations of abuses. The results and possible actions will follow after the summer.”

(Top Image: Indian one-horned rhinos take shelter on high land in flood affected Kaziranga National Park, in Assam, India, July 6, 2017 /VCG Photo)