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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Poland bans almost all abortions

171 replies

ArabellaScott · 22/10/2020 17:16

Frightening,

'Poland's top court has ruled that abortions in cases of foetal defects are unconstitutional.

...

Once the decision comes into effect, terminations will only be allowed in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother's health is at risk.'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54642108

OP posts:
NiceGerbil · 23/10/2020 18:28

Women who find out late about abnormalities, suppose they will have no options? Too late to travel, and the state knows they are Pg and would ask questions if that changed?

randomer · 23/10/2020 18:30

Poland is going back and back, Its not just about abortion. They have "gay free" zones.

PhoebeSnow · 23/10/2020 18:32

FFS ! This is terrible news, women’s rights are under siege around the world. Talk about one step forward with Southern Ireland, and now a huge step back with this . Surely the EU must be able to sort this out.

CharlieParley · 23/10/2020 19:07

Gabcsika and GreenLeafTurnip thank you for sharing your perspective and I'm so sorry that this is happening. I hope that we will, all of us together, in time restore these and other women's rights again. I certainly intend to work on that for as long as I can.

deragod · 23/10/2020 21:17

@randomer

Poland is going back and back, Its not just about abortion. They have "gay free" zones.
That's not exactly right. There are councils in Poland that claim that LGBT understood as a political agent is banned. Still bad but not the same.

For context abortion in Poland was legal from late 50' (after death of Stalin when polish government gain some freedom from Moscow) till 97. Poles were protesting back than as well but, left wing politicians decide to play with church and introduced so called 'abortion compromise'.

Poland is not mainly catholic country that's propaganda of the Catholic Church. Even they admitted that is something like 38% of population who attended masses and participate in the church life. But they are like mafia. They have money and power. They suck governmental money, dont have to pay taxes, steal lands and gave a free pass to propagate Catholicism in schools. And are paid for that as 'teachers' although school principals and polish Ofsted have no control over them.

Some people asked about contraception so: you can buy condoms everywhere, gynecologists can prescribe you a pill, a ring etc. but you have to pay fraction of costs. Morning pill is not refunded so it cost enormous money if you are on low wage or a teenage girl. Women who travel tend to buy morning pills abroad in batches and back in Poland they distribute them among friends and friends of friends.

Current government aalready sort of closed one of few clinics in Europe where highly skilled clinicians where operating fetuses in wombs so their hearts would grow healthy and a healthy child would be born at the end, although as a lot of checks is needed to go with procedures it means a lot of fatal cases found thus termination....
Earley they cuted funds for IVF so its available only at private clinics.
There is lots and lots and it's all about making catholic church happy. In Poland it's called Catotaliban....

randomer · 23/10/2020 21:40

Around 100 towns and regions across Poland, nearly a third of the country, have passed resolutions declaring themselves free of "LGBT ideology". These resolutions are essentially symbolic and unenforceable but they have provided fresh ammunition in Poland's increasingly bitter culture war

JGACC · 23/10/2020 22:03

I can't put into words how this makes me feel. I heard an interview with an interview in Poland who said some doctors will still carry out abortions and not seeing it as actual law? I really hope she is right and really admire her bravery and fight. Love to women in Poland

persistentwoman · 23/10/2020 22:05

An awful regressive move. What can we do to support women in Poland?

ChattyLion · 23/10/2020 22:40

I’d like to know how we can help too. Women are out on the streets protesting in Poland. Courage calls to courage.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54669257

goisey · 24/10/2020 08:55

Polish women are lucky they are in the EU, as least hopefully travel to neighbouring countries to seek terminations will be simpler as long as they have the money for it.
Why are women's rights going backwards?
It's not fucking fair!

NiceGerbil · 25/10/2020 01:39

No it's not.

Let's not forget that NI had some of the strictest rules until recently. Part of the UK

And although in theory it's been relaxed a bit, this does seem to be in theory only.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/abortion-now-legal-northern-ireland-arent-procedures-actually/amp/

SophocIestheFox · 25/10/2020 06:40

@CharlieParley

Gabcsika and GreenLeafTurnip thank you for sharing your perspective and I'm so sorry that this is happening. I hope that we will, all of us together, in time restore these and other women's rights again. I certainly intend to work on that for as long as I can.
Exactly this.

A Pp mentioned women on waves earlier - I found their website here www.womenonwaves.org/en/donate, and have slung a donation their way this morning.

Gabcsika · 25/10/2020 10:58

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!

Gabcsika · 25/10/2020 10:59

Fucked up the clicky links. Sorry!

HecatesCats · 25/10/2020 11:05

@Gabcsika

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!

Thank you! 🙏🏼
banivani · 25/10/2020 21:52

@Gabcsika great list of resources, thank you so much!

merrymouse · 25/10/2020 23:20

I do think abortion should be safe, free and legal but I wish we could have a more nuanced discussion than 'my body my choice' and a recognition that more than one life is being weighed here.

If women are being forced to continue pregnancies where the foetus has a condition that would not be compatible with life, I don’t think this is about considering two lives.

Quaagars · 27/10/2020 01:38

Wasn't Poland the country that recently voted against LGBT rights?
If so completely not surprised.
Always thought if they go after LGBT then women won't be far behind.

Agrona · 27/10/2020 02:25

@Quaagars

Wasn't Poland the country that recently voted against LGBT rights? If so completely not surprised. Always thought if they go after LGBT then women won't be far behind.
Wow!

Though shouldn't be surprised.

Agrona · 27/10/2020 02:27

What I meant was you actually posted that.

Kokeshi123 · 27/10/2020 02:39

I think we will see more of this as countries attempt to boost the birthrate (although in this case, it looks like most of the extra babies born as a result of this policy would not have survived long in any case). China will be the next to start restricting abortion, as they are now in a panic about their demographics.

Agrona · 27/10/2020 02:52

[quote Keyperfect]@bathsh3ba i agree with you. This is good news for babies. Life is precious.[/quote]
Good news for the babies?

But let us not worry about the mothers. The following link is a link to a US example of where the wishes of the mother, father and grandparents were ignored and the fetus given priority.

Warning: It is sad and shocking.

www.advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/the_rights_of_pregnant_patients_carder_case_brings_bold_policy_initiatives/

Harriedharriet · 27/10/2020 04:12

[quote Spanielmadness]@bathsh3ba I couldn’t agree more. The amount of children aborted due to birth ‘defects’ is inexcusable[/quote]
You cannot abort a child.

You can abort a foetus.

Notthegoldenchild · 27/10/2020 04:24

@PhoebeSnow there is no such place as 'southern ireland'. There is Northern Ireland which is part of the UK and there is Ireland which is a complete separate identity and a republic in its own right.

Yes in Ireland we finally copped on and gave women full bodily autonomy but it is still frowned upon here and you have only a few weeks to make a decision so actually if and when you find out that your child is not compatible with life you still have a massive argument on your hands. Yes we are coming out of the dark ages with great things like 'allowing' women to have control of their bodies, marriage equality etc but unfortunately we also became a country of gobshites when we voted in (very quietly) the whole gender recognition act which is a total joke if you ask me. It completely nullifies womens rights and womens choices. I feel so sad for Poland regressing in this way but the world at the moment seems to have gone mad and women are the brunt of it.

Agrona · 27/10/2020 05:45

Sorry, I meant to type foetus.