Save the Women

Parliament reviews restrictive Bill as pro-choice side lodges liberal one

about 19 hours ago
Derek Scally in Berlin

The gloves have come off in Poland’s bitter abortion battle, with pro-choice and anti-abortion camps lodging rival proposals to reform the country’s restrictive termination regime – in very different directions.

After months of emotive street protests, including gatherings of pro-choice campaigners wielding clothes hangers, the two competing Bills will now force a parliamentary debate over what Polish commentators have dubbed a “cultural war” in an increasingly polarised country.

The draft Bills will change existing Polish abortion legislation from 1993, which allows termination in only three cases: after rape or incest, if the child is “seriously malformed” or if the mother’s health is in danger.

Yesterday in Warsaw’s Sejm parliament, Polish pro-choice campaigners lodged a draft Bill that would liberalise this regime: allowing termination on request until the 12th week of pregnancy and improving access to contraception and sex education.

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Source: Irish Times

11:18, 03.08.2016

A draft seeking to liberalise Poland's abortion laws prepared by the "Save the Women" Legislative Initiative Committee will reach the Sejm (lower house) on Thursday. The committee collected over 160,000 signatures under the draft.

Under the "Save the Women" draft, women are entitled to have an abortion up to 12 weeks into the pregnancy. After that abortion would be permissible along the same rules as those in effect today.

Additionally, in cases of severe and irreversible impairment of the foetus or an incurable disease, abortion would be permitted up to the 24th week. Abortion would be permissible up to the 18th week if the pregnancy is the result of a crime.

The proposed changes have been initiated by the Polish Initiative Association founded by former United Left leader Barbara Nowacka.

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Source: Polish Press Agency

Poland’s abortion stand-off heats up ahead of parliamentary vote

Poland: Citizen’s draft liberalising abortion regulations in Sejm on Thursday