Protestors gathered in Poland again on Friday to voice their opposition to the recent change in the law, effectively banning abortion completely.
Activists staged marches in all major cities and the protest in Warsaw was the country’s biggest protest ever against the government. It’s estimated that some 100,000 people gathered in the streets.
Earlier in the month, the High Court banned almost all abortions with the exception of in the case of rape, incest, or where the mothers health is at risk. Abortions carried out for fetal abnormalities, which accounted for 98% of all abortions in Poland, have been banned.
Poland previously had some of the EU’s strictest abortion laws and between 1000 and 2000 are carried out each year. Women’s rights groups say that up to 200,000 are carried out abroad or illegally.
Earlier in the week, 400,000 women went on strike across 400 towns and cities in the country.
Prior to last nights protest, Andrzej Duda, the right-wing president suggested a “legislative solution” to the issue. He proposed that abortions in the case where the fetal abnormality is deemed fatal should be allowed. Terminations for other non-life-threatening conditions would still be banned.
Protestors were not satisfied with this and took to the streets chanting “I think, I feel, I decide.”
The United Nations has confirmed that abortion is a human right. he World Health Organisation states that access to safe abortion protects women’s and girl’s health and human rights.
Abortion is legal throughout Europe except for Malta where it is illegal under any circumstance, even if the life of the woman is in danger.
