‘A direct attack’: US, European anti-rights groups descend on ‘family values’ events in Africa

Ultra-conservative groups from the US and Europe are attending a “family values” conference in Kenya this week – one of several planned in Africa this year – in what activists are describing as a “direct attack” on LGBT and women’s rights.

17/05/2025
By: Joanna YORK

The Pan-African conference on Family Values began in Nairobi on Monday with a call to wage a “biblical” fight for the family unit from Anne Mbugua, chairperson of event organiser the Africa Christian Professionals Forum.

The conference is one of several planned across Africa this year, backed by wealthy US ultra-Christian groups, including Family Watch International, Christian Council International, the Center for Family and Human Rights, and the Family Policy Institute.

Continued: https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20250517-a-direct-attack-us-european-anti-rights-groups-descend-on-family-values-events-in-africa

Polish gynaecologists seek legal clarity after late-term abortion case sparks controversy

Apr 16, 2025
Notes from Poland

The Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (PTGiP) has called on the health ministry to clarify the legal interpretation of abortion regulations following a controversial case involving the termination of a pregnancy at 36 weeks.

In a letter to health minister Izabela Leszczyna, dated 10 April, the society requested confirmation of how the phrase “termination of pregnancy” should be interpreted in cases where the mother’s life or health is at risk.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2025/04/16/polish-gynaecologists-seek-legal-clarity-after-late-term-abortion-case-sparks-controversy/

16.04.2025

News

foetal defects

Fundacja Pro-Prawo do życia

Polish Constitutional Tribunal

Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians

In the name of the family: Yes, Europe could be headed for a ‘Project 2025’ too

In almost every election in Europe in recent years, a discreet but increasingly powerful force has been at play to help bolster the far right. Much like the architects behind “Project 2025”, a set of ultra-conservative networks are waging a campaign to dismantle progressive European policies and replace them with traditionalist Christian values – leaving little room for feminists, LGBTQ+ activists and other marginalised groups.

Issued on: 21/03/2025
By: Louise NORDSTROM

In the summer of 2017, a peculiar document was leaked and published on the whistle-blowing platform WikiLeaks. The secret document, labelled “Restoring the Natural Order: an Agenda for Europe”, outlined a detailed strategy on how to roll back progressive legislation including the right to divorce, women’s access to contraception and abortion, and equal rights for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Behind the manifesto was a vast transatlantic network of more than 100 hard-line Catholic groups in 30 countries from all over the world called “Agenda Europe”.

Continued: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20250321-in-the-name-of-the-family-yes-europe-could-be-headed-project-2025-too-lgbtq-trump-far-right-heritage-foundation

Polish far-right slams EU abortion financing initiative

By Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl
May 9, 2024

Funding abortions for women seeking treatment in other EU member states with limited services is “unacceptable”, conservative opposition MP Karina Bosak told Euractiv.pl, referring to a recently registered EU citizens’ initiative.

Bosak referred to the EU Citizens’ Initiative dubbed “My Voice, My Choice”, registered by the European Commission last month. It calls on the Commission to put forward a proposal to set up a fund to cover the costs of women who cannot access abortion in their own member state and choose to travel to another country with more liberal abortion laws.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/polish-far-right-slams-eu-abortion-financing-initiative/

09.05.2024

Europe’s growing abortion nightmare

Even in the absence of a ban, for women in need of abortion access, the overall picture is grim — and the worst is yet to come.

JULY 1, 2023
Reporting for this article was carried out by Akmaljon Akhmedjonov, Bernadeta Barokova, Yijing Chen, Pius Fozan, Timotheus Paul Goldinger, Kristina Kovalska, Leila Lawrence, Hanna Perenyi, Carina Samhaber, Stephanie Songer, Marziyeh Taeb, Tripti and Joseph Scioli, masters and PhD students at the Central European University in Vienna, under the editorship of Professor Marius Dragomir.

When she was 19 years old, Anna Peer had an abortion after her intrauterine device malfunctioned. “I didn’t realize at the time how lucky and privileged I was,” said Peer, now 24. “My gynecologist basically carried me through everything.”

But through her work for the Austrian Family Planning Association (ÖGF), an NGO that provides counseling related to reproductive health, Peer now sees “what the system’s actually like.”

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/europes-growing-abortion-nightmare/

01.07.2023

Commentary

Aleksander Stępkowski

Alternative for Germany

Anna Peer

Austrian Family Planning Association

Austrian Life Movement

Brad Hayes

Changes for Women

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Ciocia Wienia

Claire Provost

conscientious objectors

Contraceptive and Sexual Education Society

cost of abortion

criminalization of abortion

Dr. Cemil Yaman

Elke Graf

European Court of Human Rights

European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Freedom Party of Austria

pro:woman ambulatorium

Will Poland have a referendum on its abortion law, and what might the outcome be?

APR 3, 2023
By Daniel Tilles

Why is this an issue?

Since January 2021, Poland has had a near-total ban on abortion following an October 2020 ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal (TK) that outlawed the most common form of legal abortion.

Previously, Poland had already had one of Europe’s strictest abortion laws, with terminations allowed in only three circumstances: if the pregnancy threatened the mother’s life or health, if it resulted from a criminal act (such as rape), or if the foetus was diagnosed with a serious birth defect.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/04/03/will-poland-have-a-referendum-on-its-abortion-law-and-what-might-the-outcome-be/

Polish abortion: Activist guilty of providing pills to end pregnancy

March 14, 2023
by Adam Easton, BBC News, Warsaw

A Polish woman has been sentenced to eight months of community service for illegally helping another woman to have an abortion.

Abortion has been almost completely banned in Poland and Justyna Wydrzynska is thought to be the first activist to be tried for aiding a pregnant woman.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64950505

14.03.2023

#IAmJustyna

Abortion Dream Team

Amnesty International

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Justyna Wydrzynska

Ordo Iuris

Zbigniew Ziobro

Polish parliament rejects law banning “promotion of abortion”

MAR 8, 2023
Notes from Poland

Parliament has rejected a bill that would have introduced jail terms for “publicly promoting or calling for abortion” or providing information about how women can obtain abortions in Poland or abroad.

While the legislation – which was submitted to parliament as a so-called citizen’s legislative initiative supported by public signatures – was rejected by a large majority of MPs, over half of members of the conservative ruling coalition’s caucus voted either to allow it to proceed or abstained from voting.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/03/08/polish-parliament-rejects-law-banning-promotion-of-abortion/

08.03.2023

News

Abortion is Murder bill

citizen’s legislative initiative

Jarosław Kaczyński

Kaja Godek

Law and Justice party

Life and Family Foundation

Not one more’ woman can fall victim to Poland’s abortion laws

Women must be able to count on the EU to protect them — especially when their own governments are the ones endangering their lives.

BY ROBERT BIEDROŃ
DECEMBER 31, 2022
(Robert Biedroń is a member of the European Parliament and chair of the FEMM Committee on women’s rights and gender equality.)

During the Cold War, women from Western Europe would travel behind the Iron Curtain to access free and legal abortion services in Poland. However, the tables have since turned.

For the last 30 years, Polish women have been subject to increasingly restrictive abortion laws, culminating in the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling, which introduced a near-total abortion ban in 2020, leaving them with fewer sexual reproductive health rights than in fundamentalist states like Iran.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/women-victim-poland-abortion-laws/

Poland shows the risks for women when abortion is banned

Katrin Bennhold, Monika Pronczuk
14.06.2022

It was shortly before 11 p.m. when Izabela Sajbor realized the doctors were prepared to let her die. Her doctor had already told her that her fetus had severe abnormalities and would almost certainly die in the womb. If it made it to term, life expectancy was a year, at most. At 22 weeks pregnant, Sajbor had been admitted to a hospital after her water broke prematurely.

She knew that there was a short window to induce birth or surgically remove the fetus to avert infection and potentially fatal sepsis. But even as she developed a fever, vomited and convulsed on the floor, it seemed to be the baby’s heartbeat that the doctors were most concerned about.

Continued: https://www.ekathimerini.com/nytimes/1186635/poland-shows-the-risks-for-women-when-abortion-is-banned/