Polish women fighting back against abortion laws

[DancelikeEmmaGoldman]

It’s encouraging to see the protests.

“Tens of thousands of Poles have been marching for almost a week to protest a new high court ruling that imposes a near-total ban on abortion, blocking major roads and bridges and chanting anti-government slogans.

The demonstrators, some dressed as characters from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” have even disrupted masses and vandalized churches — a rare case of lashing out at the government’s ally, the Catholic Church, in the staunchly Catholic country.”

www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/world/europe/poland-abortion-ruling-protests.html

This is a big thing, the churches are still open, but the government is bringing out the tanks against woman protestors. Shocking revisitionist laws. In solidarity with Polish women.

Solidarity with the women of Poland

Dear BBC, how do Polish people decide who might might need an abortion and who will be driven to desperation by the refusal? For ease, is there a word to describe this class of people?

Abortion-havers? Non-menstruators? If only there was a simple word. Oh women! I suppose it’s ok to use when you’re talking about foreigners and their “women’s strike” (BBC quote marks).

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-europe-54716780?__twitter_impression=true

I personally think it's shocking that Polish women are in this day and age not given agency over their own bodies. 12 years ago Poland was giving three years maternity or an option on the job. How has it gone so far backwards?

Solidarity with the women of Poland. Truly awful that women still have to fight for bodily autonomy.

More power to you, women of Poland.

If anyone wants to donate in solidarity, this thread had some links on it

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/a4057903-Poland-bans-almost-all-abortions?msgid=101205955#101205955

Solidarity with the women of Poland.

Solidarity with our sisters in Poland. Here's the post on organisations to support by Gabcsika from the other thread:

There is women on the waves.

Specifically for Poland there are some organisations working cross-europe and beyond helping women gain access to abortion.

https://www.asn.org.uk/] - Abortion Support Network is a network helping women find safe travel to other European countries. They help with funding and travel costs if necessary.

https://abortion.eu] - part of the Ciocia Basia Network (Auntie Basia) Abortion without Borders run an advice line directing women to services and advising them as to what they can do. Ciocia Basia is an activist group created to support people from countries where abortion is illegal who want to come to Berlin to have an abortion. They facilitate contact and appointments with confidential, non-judgemental counsellors and medical professionals who offer medical and surgical abortion.
We also help with the translation and can provide free accommodation in volunteer homes in Berlin if needed. We do not profit financially from our activism!

http://abortionnetwork.amsterdam/] - much like Cocia Basia this organisation helps women get to Amsterdam to acess safe abortion.

https://www.maszwybor.net/] - Women on the Web run a support forum

https://womenhelp.org/] - Women Help Women is a fantastic organisation that sends contraception and abortion tablets direct to women's homes. They run on donations and only ask that women pay what they can afford. If they can't afford they will send them without charge. It runs on donations, so please help them!

There is a press conference today by some of the representatives today. In English it starts at around 45 minutes.

You can listen to it here:

www.facebook.com/ogolnopolskistrajkkobiet/videos/843974906370814

Thanks for the links & suggestions of orgs to support.
This is such a terrible development & within Europe. Brave women to be protesting.

[quote Gabcsika]There is a press conference today by some of the representatives today. In English it starts at around 45 minutes.

You can listen to it here:

www.facebook.com/ogolnopolskistrajkkobiet/videos/843974906370814[/quote]
These women are amazing.

Really upset to read that women are already being turned away from clinics & hospitals, it must be so harrowing: Since last week, The Federation for Women and Family Planningg^ has received dozens of calls from distressed women, including from those turned away from clinics despite having pre-existing appointments on the grounds of foetal ^abnormalities. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/30/polish-hospitals-begin-turning-away-women-seeking-abortions^

Interesting to see that the Polish President has distanced himself from the most recent restrictions on abortion.

"Poland’s president says women themselves should have the right to abortion in case of congenitally damaged fetuses" www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poland-abortion-law-rules-andrzej-duda-protests-latest-b1416475.html

And for anyone on facebook there is an online event to show support tomorrow www.facebook.com/events/290573855534829/ starting at 2pm

Thank you for keeping us up to date on this. I'm just so sad for Polish women, so angry, too. At the time when we holidayed in Poland, when I was a child, women travelled to Poland - from countries where abortion wasn't legal - to access abortions there. And 40 years later, it's Polish women forced to do this. I mean what the actual fuck! This state control over women's bodies should just not ever be acceptable.

Brave, brave women. I hope none of them get hurt.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/womens-rights-groups-polish-nationalists-face-off-as-churches-become-flash-points-in-protests-over-abortion-law/2020/10/30/76c10c32-19f6-11eb-8bda-814ca56e138b_story.html%3foutputType=amp

[quote SunsetScreech]Brave, brave women. I hope none of them get hurt.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/womens-rights-groups-polish-nationalists-face-off-as-churches-become-flash-points-in-protests-over-abortion-law/2020/10/30/76c10c32-19f6-11eb-8bda-814ca56e138b_story.html%3foutputType=amp[/quote]
This self styled far right National
Guard pushing back against the protests is a worrying development.

I am not sure if everyone is aware of the Abortion Support Network originally set up to help women in Ireland it now helps women in Poland and Malta (and Spain?).

www.asn.org.uk/poland/
www.asn.org.uk/about-abortion-without-borders/

And for anyone who is having a quiet weekend a little digging would help out!

As far as I know they are totally voluntary.

However, they are into gender neutral terminology - a strange concept given who they are working towards helping.

And this is why right wing governments are no friends to women and women's rights. True, they will not try to re-define the word "woman."
They don't have to. Woman is already clearly defined under such systems and her standing is always inferior to man's. Her place is in the home, bearing children and obeying.
So much feminism in that picture.

@CharlieParley I don’t understand the link between you holidaying and women having abortions?

It’s a shame Poland is now on the quarantine list for the U.K. I hope they get support.

[quote Georgeoftheinternet]@CharlieParley I don’t understand the link between you holidaying and women having abortions?[/quote]
I took it to mean that things have changed dramatically for Polish women in the time since Charlie visited.

There's some interesting background in this article: ‘The current situation for Polish women is the worst in 25 years,’ mondediplo.com/2016/11/11Poland

Solidarity with the women of Poland. I've been told this week that I 'want to turn the UK into Poland' because I don't agree with teaching gender identity in schools. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It might be a good idea for everyone to write to their MPs. You could ask what they think of it, if there's any plan to help Polish women as an act of kindness from the UK.

Denmark, for example are discussing in Parliament the prospect of of allowing women to have abortions there free of charge where it isn't availiable in their country. (N. Ireland, Malta and Poland) as a response to the latest ruling.

I would ask people to pressure their own state representatives, to ask if they would consider acting in solidarity with ordinary women in desperate and vulnerable situations, and how they intend to do it? Strong condemnation is not enough. We need help immediately - financial and practical, and we need governmental pressure.

If UK women, and in fact all women across Europe, could start doing that for us it would be amazing!

You can read about Denmark here:

cphpost.dk/?p=119884

It might be a good idea for everyone to write to their MPs.

Will do Gabcsika, thanks for highlighting the Danish response

Thank you, Gabcsika. I’m a Scot living in Warsaw and I remember my Government speaking up for women in NI and giving them the chance to get help in Scotland - and later on the UK Government did the same in England and Wales.

I am going to write to my reps in Scotland and the UK tonight to see what we can do to support Poland. I urge everyone here who can to do the same.