Following the Polish government’s law change, abortions will now only be allowed in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother’s health is at risk.
Poland already had one of Europe’s most restrictive laws. The abortion ruling drew immediate condemnation from the Council of Europe – the continent’s leading human rights body.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also condemned the ruling.
Stirling Women’s Officer Jess Reid has made a statement,
“As Women’s Officer at the University of Stirling I would like to extend my support and solidarity to the protestors across Poland resisting the government’s implementation of a near-total ban on abortions. With abortion laws already extrememly restrictive, this new ruling states that abortions where the foetus is diagnosed with serious and irreversible birth defects would be unconstitutional.
It is my belief that every woman deserves the right to make decisions for the good of herself, her well-being and that of the foetus she carries, this ruling inherently goes against that right. As women we have, for too long, faced discrimination over the choices we make for our own bodies – this is not acceptable.
These protests do not only represent the struggles for Polish women but for women across the world who have not had the choice. As Warsaw sees 100,000 people take to its streets in protest, I extend our support from across the continent with the hope that they achieve equality and the right to choose.
Whether in Scotland or Poland or anywhere else in the world, everyone deserves autonomy over their own body. This includes the right to choose to abort.”
Protests have been going on across Poland since the law was announced.
Film Media and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Editor in Chief at Brig Newspaper. Edinburgh / Stirling
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