Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Polish abortion ban - London protest

37 replies

RoseDeGambrinus · 23/09/2016 15:07

The Polish parliament has just voted through to legislative committee a law that would ban all abortion except if the mother was dying, even in cases of rape or incest. Women could be sentenced to 5 years in prison for having an abortion or even miscarriage. Plus I think it bans the morning after pill and sex education in schools. Sorry I've got no time to post more but search for #czarnyprotest and I think there is a protest outside the Polish embassy here tomorrow at 4pm. Just aaargh.

OP posts:
antimatter · 26/09/2016 23:05

Yes, I am taking part in that run/walk as well.

Here's BBC's article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37449903

WinchesterWoman · 27/09/2016 07:47

My god that's appalling

Scarydinosaurs · 27/09/2016 07:56

This is so shocking. I feel very saddened that this has happened. Out of curiosity, what is the ratio of men:women in this right wing ultra conservative government? I can't imagine it's anywhere close to 50:50 with them passing draconian anti female laws like this.

RoseDeGambrinus · 27/09/2016 08:07

Thank you everyone for sharing the petition and the protests. It's just awful.

OP posts:
olafisking · 27/09/2016 08:09

Haven't read all the articles but if the wording is 'causing the death of a conceived child' then there is also a massive risk for women pregnant with wanted children as it leaves the door open for prosecution of women who miscarry if 'lifestyle' is deemed to be a factor. Very, very worrying Sad

antimatter · 27/09/2016 20:22

54 women in the ruling party's club and 181. Every single one voted for this change to the reproductive rights.
Yes women vited for it in the name of Catholic religion they believe in!
PiS has majority in the Parliment.
Apart from them there were members of other parties who supported this proposal by voting yes for it.

The possible consequences of this change are as you mentioned death of a pregnant woman.
Or if she miscarry and found guilty may go to jail like it is happening now in Guatemala, N.Ireland or Malta.

antimatter · 27/09/2016 20:22

*181 men

Scarydinosaurs · 27/09/2016 20:41

Thank you, anti. That sadly only confirms what I feared.

How far does this legislation go? Is the MAP banned? The mini pill?

To ban abortions is one thing- what are they doing to protect the babies that will then be born? Better adoption systems? More money for families on low incomes? Better provision for contraception for both men and women?

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 28/09/2016 01:18

This research is from 1981. I'm actually surprised it's taken so long to get to the current situation. I was always nervous about some of the baggage that came with Solidarity.

Contraception and abortion in Poland. - PubMed - NCBI
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7286170

1st trimester abortions have been legal and widely available since 1956, and Polish women terminate 1/5 of their pregnancies by abortion. However, 1/3 of Polish women of reproductive age state that they believe abortion should be made illegal and more than 1/2 believe the law should be made more restrictive. 55% said that religious factors should be taken into account in matters pertaining to abortion

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 28/09/2016 01:23

Signed the petition, but I doubt it will do any good.

antimatter · 28/09/2016 11:15

Lass there was no sexual education in 1981, that's why there was such high level of abortion instead of women using the pill.

After 89 Solidarity and all government went to bed with CC and we have situation as it is now.
In just one generation women's rights are taken away from us.
I think it will take another generation to rebuild democracy. Realising that is so frightening for Polish people.

Another article on PubMed summarises situation in 93 very well
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12287103

After the fall of Communism in Poland, the Catholic church exerted pressure to increase its influence in public life. One way in which this pressure has manifested itself has been in the passing of a restrictive abortion bill which was signed into law on February 15, 1993. Abortion had been legalized in Poland in 1956 and was used as a means of birth control because of a lack of availability and use of contraceptives. The number of abortions performed was variously reported as 60,000 - 300,000/year. In 1990, the Ministry of Health imposed restrictions on abortions at publicly funded hospitals, and 3 deaths were reported from self-induced abortions. In 1 year (1989-90), the number of induced abortions at 1 hospital dropped from 71 to 19, while the number of self-induced abortions increased from 48 to 85. Further restrictions were introduced in May 1992 as part of the "Ethical Code for Physicians," which allows abortions only in cases where the mother's life or health is in danger or in cases or rape. This code brought abortions to a halt at publicly funded hospitals and doubled or even tripled the cost of private abortions. Women have been refused abortions in tragic and life=threatening situations since the code was adopted. When an outright anti family planning bill was drafted in November 1992, the Polish citizenry collected 1,300,000 signatures to force a referendum. The referendum was not held, but the bill was defeated. The amended bill which passed allows abortions in publicly funded hospitals only when the mother's life or health is in danger and in cases of rape, incest, or incurable deformity of the fetus. The implications of this law remain unclear, since its language is strange and vague. The reproductive rights of Polish women face a further threat because the Catholic church is working to limit the availability of contraceptive methods which they deem to be "early abortives." On the other side of the issue, the Federation for Women and Planned Parenthood was established in 1992 and presently has 9 member organizations dedicated to reestablishing legal abortion and to helping women avoid unwanted pregnancies through sex education and contraception. Polls show that the new abortion law dose not reflect the favorable attitude of a majority of the Polish people toward legal abortion. It is unfortunate that Polish women will now have to fight for the rights that were once given to them.

antimatter · 28/09/2016 13:37

1 min video (you can watch it without sound)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page