‘When the Government does not Protect me, I must Protect my Sister’.
The rightwing Polish government have launched an attack that severely regresses abortion rights and access in the country. On October 22nd, they ruled that abortion would only be legal in two scenarios: if the pregnancy came from incest or rape, or if the pregnancy threatened the life or health of the mother. Predominantly catholic Poland, already hold some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. Despite its population size being 33 million people larger than Scotland, Scotland carried out around 12,000 more abortions than Poland in 2018.
Despite this monumental setback to the rights of all individuals with wombs, we saw the resilience and strength of the oppressed as they took a stand against the politicisation of their bodies. Headed by women’s movement Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet (OSK, or All-Polish Women’s Strike), protests took place across the country - for fourteen nights - demanding for safe and legal abortion access. These protests are the largest Poland has seen in 40 years, since the fall of communism. Chants included: ‘when the government does not protect me, I must protect my sister’, ‘the Virgin Mary would walk with us’, and ‘sex is not a crime, pregnancy is not a punishment, if I want an abortion I will have it’.
This is not the first instance of civilians risking their lives to protest during the COVID-19 pandemic, as earlier this year we saw a resurgence of the Black Lives Movement in America and across the world. The priorities of an administration fall into question if their response during a pandemic is to make the lives of their citizens infinitely more challenging and dangerous.
To individuals that hold an anti-choice outlook, I urge you to understand that when abortions become prohibited by law they do not cease to exist. Instead, terminations are carried out in illegal and dangerous settings. In many instances, they are not carried out by a medical professional, instead, they are often led by unqualified individuals using the procedure as a medium to make a profit.
Even in countries with progressive abortion laws, strict measures are still put in place to ensure terminations are not carried out once the foetus can survive outside the mother’s body. Bringing an unwanted child into the world can host an endless list of repercussions for both the mother and baby. This can be avoided if we detach the shame from abortion, and ensure it is accessible to all individuals with wombs.
Since the outbreak of protests, Poland’s right-wing government have delayed the implementation of these controversial new measures. To the activists of Poland, we thank you for taking a stand against the politicisation of the female body. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of voting in general elections and voting for parties that represent the needs of all citizens. We need a separation of the church and state, and governments need to take politics out of our reproductive system.
