'HELL OF WOMEN' IN POLAND (early 2000s)

“Hell of women” term is used in Poland to describe the situation in which women don’t have the right to legal abortion.
For the first time this term was used by writer Tadeusz Boy-Zelenski, polish writer and poet, in 1929 he wrote a collection of articles called Pieklo Kobiet/the hell of women, in which he demanded legal abortion and spoke about the situation of many women who cannot give birth because of difficult life conditions.
‘Hell of women’ in Poland still continues..

Nearly 40 years of legal abortion.

After Second World War abortion in Poland, like in all Europe, was illegal. But after Russia’s government legalized abortion on social ground, in Poland discussions about this issue started...
In 1956 polish government followed by Russia and legalized abortion. From this date termination of pregnancy was legal and accessible, both on medical and social grounds. Women could terminate pregnancy in public hospital, free of charge. This law changed once again. Months of research showed that although abortion is legalized, women still have problems with obtaining it. It was happening because of bureaucracy, women had to proof their bad social status by obtaining a written certificate from social security service to submit it to a doctor. That is why abortion law was liberalized once again, and after this change women could have abortion almost “on request”.
Although exact figures do not exist, it is estimated that there were from 180,000 to 300,000 abortions a year.

Pro-life struggle in early 90’ - Birth of feminism.

In the early 90’s Catholic Church with pro-life organizations restarted their campaign against women’s rights to abortion.
But the struggle against abortion law started before 1990. In 1998 the catholic-social association organized conference about protection of unborn, on this conference they created special committee, which aim was to create a draft of anti-abortion law. Very soon they made the draft of new act, in which they wanted to make abortion completely illegal, it was really radical act comparing with act currently in force. There wasn’t in this project any note about admission of abortion. Fortunately the draft wasn’t discussed by parliament. But anti- choice campaign started.
This accident gave the spark for polish women to organize, as well! We could say that 1988 is the year from which Polish feminist movement started to exist. To keep abortion legal was the reason to get organized and fight. And the two groups started to exist- Pro-Femina and PSF /polish feminist association/.
After election in 1989 when communist opposition won, the abortion issue was one of the main goal of new right wing’s politicians. The other draft was prepared. This one was giving some rights for women, only in case when they life are in serious danger. This draft failed, because of not enough voting MPs
In 1990 the majority of members of parliament wanted to vote one more time against legal abortion, they wanted to make a gift to the pope - before his visit in 1991. This bill also failed.

Medical establishment says “no” to abortion.

In 1992 the medical professional organization, despite resistance from numerous medical doctors, also issued a statement against abortion at the National Assembly of Doctors in the same year.
Which is when they adopted the Medical Code of Ethics with regulations stating that abortion on social grounds (when the pregnancy was a result of a criminal act) was deemed impossible. The possibilities for termination of pregnancy on medical grounds had been seriously limited. Very few doctors from this time made dialogue about abortion openly.

The Federation for Women and Family Planning.

In the same year Federation for Women and Family Planning was created. The biggest polish pro-choice organization was established by five organizations (the Pro Femina Association, the Polish Feminist Association, the League of Polish Women, Neutrum and The Society for Family Development) in order to defend women’s rights to choose. The Federation acts for: gender equality by defending (women which includes teenage women), reproductive rights which include: access to family planning information and services, reliable and comprehensive sex education, access to high quality prenatal diagnosis, right to legal, safe and high quality abortion, gender-sensitive women’s reproductive health services aimed at fulfilling specific health needs of women (e.g. legal abortion, contraceptives, ART), observance of women’s rights as health service users (right to dignity, information, privacy, informed consent, confidentiality). The Federation edits publications, books, and leaflets. It organizes campaigns, manifestation, tribunals on abortion law and more. It is the most active organization in Poland, which stands for women’s right to choose.

1992 - Social Committee of Referendum

Polish pro-choice groups in 1992 were faced with strong pro-life activity. Two members of parliament decided to create Social Committee for Referendum. They wanted polish society to vote whether they wanted to keep abortion legal or not. Thousands of signatures were collected /about 1, 000, 300, but Parliament ignored the referendum’s outcome, and so, Referendum didn’t happen.

1993 - Hell of women has begun.

Finally anti-choice groups won this battle. After three years of discussion. In 1993 significant changes concerning women’s reproductive rights were introduced in Poland. The Polish Parliament introduced the anti-abortion law called The Act on family planning, human embryo protection and conditions of permissibility of abortion, according to which abortions on social grounds were de-legalized. It meant that women in difficult life conditions, including poverty, could not legally have abortions.

Political interpretation of constitution.

In December 1993 the group of left-wing Member of Parliament made a draft of new act, by this act women can terminate abortion, if they are in bad financial situation. This change was accepted by lowest part of parliament but president Lech Walesa gave his veto.
In 1995 Aleksander Kwasniewski – left wing politician won president election. This fact brought hope for pro-choice groups and shortly afterward the anti-abortion law was liberalized in 1996 (enforced in 1997) to allow abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy if “a woman is in hard life conditions or in difficult personal situation”. In the front of Parliament, pro- and anti choice, created massive demonstrations. Anti-choice groups came to Warsaw, as the church organized trips to Warsaw free of charge (or at least very cheap). Nuns and priests of the schools, organized on this day, school trips to Warsaw without explaining the main purpose. Some people who were there, couldn’t describe their view about the subject of abortion, they came there together with local priests.
The law got restricted again in 1997 (enforced in 1998) and this provision regarding abortion on social grounds was with drawn by the Parliament elected in 1997 resulting from the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal. The Constitutional Tribunal stated that abortion on social grounds is unconstitutional and justified its decision on the basis that Poland is a democratic state of law what for the members of CT implies the protection of life at its every stage (for example as an embryo). The Polish Constitution includes the provision of legal protection of life to every human being (Art. 38). This decision of the Constitutional Tribunal, their justification and consequences was a real shock for women’s rights and health advocates as well as for many prominent lawyers.

Years 2000 and intensification of pro-choice struggle.

In the first year of the new millennium, a feminist group forms, called 8th March Women Alliance.
Formed by feminists, mostly from Warsaw, centralized around Gender Studies, OSKa Foundation, Federation for Women Rights and Family and individuals from anarcha-feminist grounds, that mobilization was the answer for a case of violent inspection in one of a private surgery in Lubiniec. One citizen secretly denounced doctor- abortionist. A woman, who was in the doctor’s surgery during that time, was taken against her will to gynecological check, due to “protected forensic evidence”.
That independent group started the biggest feminist manifestation. Since then, there have been 7 demos representing such issues as social and economic equality between women and men, introducing equality in parliamentary power, access to sexual education, freedom of speech rights and exposing catholic censorship policy.
Abortion issue was the main demand on manifestation in 2002 called “my life, equals, my choice”- ‘3 x yes for contraception, sexual education, abortion’, 2004 “our bodies, our lives, our laws”; 2005 “lets fight together, be free, defend our laws”, 2006 “lets fight together”- the biggest from all. It took place in many cities in Poland and abroad and brought together 1000s people that disagreed with new voted majority right-wing government policy. The last one happened the fifth of March 2007, it was called: “the great march of women’s solidarity”

2001

New, left-centrum wing government had formed. These political facts after years of right wing, government policy, gave one more time, hope for a change in anti-abortion law, what was claimed by the von parties before vote. Also, polish aspirations & efforts to become part of EU brought pro-choice organizations new hope for that changing. From the beginning of that process, feminist groups demanded the amendment of polish reproduction & termination pregnancy law to the same standard as those in operation in the EU. Polish government disregarded those demands. The abortion issue became taboo and disappeared from left wing government policy. The women’s reproduction and termination rights were sold. The price was church´s support for a government’s plan for a polish entrance to EU. During this cadence only the ministry for Women and Men Equal Rights, Izabela Jaruga Nowacka, tried to provide progressive changes around sexual education and contraception as well as domestic violence and social/economic women’s discrimination issues.
Due to more and more harder access to legal abortion and the silence surrounding the freedom of choice, feminist group Federation for Women & Family Planning with Center for Reproductive Law & Policy (USA), organized a “Tribunal of Women - end the hell of women, we demand legal abortion”. The Tribunal offered a space where women could share their experiences and speak out about the impact of the restrictive, anti-abortion law on their lives. There’s also a book published “Women’s hell-contemporary stories”.
This time the influence of the Catholic Church over polish social and politic life become very strong. One of the reasons was the involvement of catholic politicians in parliament, the other power and voices in to the politic, which was given for church by the left wing government what was mentioned before.
This situation meant for women in Poland that one more time their rights to conscious motherhood and rights to choose was abandoned by religious ideas, perpetuated and glorified in to the society by political power. Idea’s of women, which can be visual and important part of society just through giving birth and being mother. That idea, of women as a slaves to motherhood and nation/country made it, that even women who had certain legal rights for abortion couldn’t demand them rights any more. No doctors legally would carry out abortion. Many of them used “ethical clausal”- Medical Code of Ethics, gave as an explanation for those decisions. The amount of back street abortion & travel abroad grown up and became for many women, especially the poor, a daily reality.

2002

The 2002 “8 march demo” had as its aim, to attract public’s attention to the discrimination and restrictive abortion law, emphasizing the access to abortion, sexual education, contraception.
This same year Federation for Women and Family Rights exposed exhibition “Our life-Our decision” which put side by side polish reality and the effects of restrictive anti-abortion law with the international directives and standards. Every city where it was shown, brought big discussions & controversy. In Wroclaw the exhibition was banned due to being considered as an “amoral” propaganda.
The anti-abortion law and its outcome wasn’t still discussed on political scenes or in wider polish society. The appalling reports, known as “The 100s women’s letter”, prepared by women from independent women, feminist organizations and individual women politicians; also signed up by well known scientific and cultural women’s authorities, was sent to European Parliament in Strasbourg. The organizers of that broken “political silence” act,
wanted catch Strasbourg’s parliament attention and showed how reproduction laws in Poland, that just pretended
to be part of the EU, are ideologies by right wing and Catholic Church coup and that this allowance between pro-lifers and government, sold the women rights for church support in EU entrance aspiration.
That “sedition” were silenced and marginalized by polish government. There didn’t restart any open discussion around abortion and contraception. Rioter was disapproving.

2003

Due to a worsening the situation of women, outraged polish feminists organized themselves in a group
Committee Steer - Women decide and invites to Poland non-governmental Dutch independent
Organization “Woman on Waves”. That visit was prepared by Federation for Women Rights and Family Planning.
The ship “Langenort” arrived to Poland in the summer 2003. It waits 2 days before it’s allowed to harbor in the dock. Pro-life activists from Polish Family League and All Polish Youth group - fascist youth group, as well as the pro-choice supporters were awaiting them. Women boarding the ship and from this moment, as well as pro-choices participants, were constantly attacked by pro-life supporters: eggs, paint, verbal attacks and threats were customary. During the ship’s stay 100’s of women, called special “Wow” help line, began sharing their stories and asking for help in getting abortion. Women involved in “WoW” action, disregarded the negative atmosphere surrounding the ship and the presence of fascists, who were ready for anything not to allow “ the killing of polish babies by Dutch butchers”. 10 women received abortion pills, each time the ship sailed to the international waters an abortion was performed. Local prosecutor inquired that “WoW” broke the law by performed illegal abortions and sold illegal pills on polish market. The prosecution failed.
The positive outcomes from that visit were not only helping women in abortion, but also that “WoW” coming broke the taboo built up around the abortion and had a big influence in mobilizing polish feminists and keep them fighting for the women pro-choice reproduction laws. The abortion debate restarted in the media, society, and government. Right after women feminist organizations gave government project about conscious parenthood. Government never responded with the reason to not move such a controversial topic. This same year government de-legalizes the Ministry of Women & Men Equal Rights, which became, Ministry of Family Rights.
http://www.womenonwaves.org/set-1020.53-en.html

2004

In this year took place second Tribunal “For Women Right & Individual being”, which brought more dramatic
broken cases of women’s fights due to the legal abortion rights. All stories appeared in book “Women Life-Contemporary Stories”

2005

New government created mostly by right wing parties: The Polish Family League, The Law & Justice, The Self-defense, wanted to change sexual education school lesson in to a patriot education. New policy of government appears very clear. The most important values become patriotism & polish catholic family. Church’s power, more then ever, influenced politics.

2006

September

Polish Family League informed government about the project to change polish constitution in ‘art.38’:
“ The republic of Poland, shall ensure the life legal protection of every human being” by addition “ from the moment of conception”.
In reality, if pro-life project could pass, by the law, abortion could become completely illegal for any reason: rape, fetus damages, women’s health or life in danger, what promoters of that idea want progress!
Debate appeared on the public & private spaces. Media become a big tool in the fight for a changes /for both sides/.

October

The lower house of parliament voted to create “National Project for Family Support” which claimed to promote: heterosexuality, a natural way of conception and put all forces against abortion, sterilization, in-vitro, divorces, prostitution & pornography-of course filtered by catholic morality.
Due to that all situations and real danger of banning abortion and process of restricting women’s rights, pro-choice movement consolidated itself and provide many action against pro-lfers fascist ideas.
One of the Parliament session around constitution’s change was disturbed by pro-choice group.
They entranced in to the building and organised small demo for a woman rights to choose!

November

At the begining of this month a new formed group called Pro-Choice organized in Warsaw, ”The Day of Death for Dead Women - victims of anti-abortion law”. The demo was presented by media as, “The day of death for unborn child”.
Some days later in Warsaw, there was a “Demo for Free Choice”. It brought together various feminists groups, syndycallist, anticatholic, left democrats... The idea was to show how the polish antiabortion law, now and after change in ‘art.38’, would effect women & all polish society. At this same time in some EU countries there were solidarity pro-choice demos.
The 9th, 14th, 21st of November are the days when demos (called ‘Coming out’), organized inter alias by Pro-choice Group happened. It took place in front of polish parliament in Warsaw. Women claimed openly, whether true or not, that they had abortions. Many kept the paper “I had an abortion”. Protesting people demanded liberalization for polish abortion law. They wanted to break the silence around abortion issue, previously kept by the church & government like it a not our/polish problem.
At this time national statistic showed that in Poland, around 100 legal abortions a year, are performed. Back street abortion and travel abroad were ignore by government.
Independent statistics said that in Poland was perform from 80.00-200.000 illegal abortion a year.!
“Coming out” demos will end by publicizing, on the cover of one syndycalist magazine, faces of those women who had abortions. This kind of action took place around 35 years ago in France and Germany.

Ministry of health wants to use all money from the EU for promoting “natural” way of contraception as “marriage calendar”. More ideas appeared: label preservative and contraception pills “dangerous for health” and in the future completely ban them selling. After strong criticism from media, press, non government organization, sciences, this draft was failed.
During the public, media debate, many politicians spoke out about their personal feelings about abortion, i.e. LPR’s/Polish Family League/ politician said that he agrees with idea of 25 years sentence for a woman who aborted!
This month The Federation for Women and Family Planning organized “Public hearing in case of abortion’s ban. Voices of women -hell of women continue”.
This time the “women’s abortion stories” inter alias of Alicja Tysiac, Barbara Kleczkowska were read
by famous polish actresses; Katarzyna Figura, Maria Seweryn, Julia Kijowska. Finished by big pro-choice
discussion “Women’s rights and EU’s reproduction health standards”, included voices of those
involved in pro-choice struggle for abortion law changing, they were: Wanda Nowicka
/ The Federation for Women …./, Agnieszka Graff, Hanna Samson, Anna Jakubowska, Kazimiera Szczuka.

16 November

Parliament created new committee: Special Parliament Committee for Constitution’s Change

14.December

New government’s pro-life committee was formed: Special Committee for The Case of the Unborn Child or as they call it ‘Conception’s Life’.
Its main goal was to engage police and courts in the fight with illegal abortion.

2007

New year didn’t bring changes for a pro-choices struggle. The situation in the government became scarier, silly and disorientated. It seemed like a circus and only one thing about what ministers debated was foetus, the unborn life.
Pro-life politicians fundamentalists supported by church, catholic pro-life organizations and media (in the form of newspapers): ”Sunday’s guest” and “Our Paper”, tried to force them anti-choice ideas into the constitution and in to the society by mass multimedia propagandhas. The most powerful catholic,
nationalist radio Maria was the most active in this crusade. They even threatened, on the radio waves, pro-choice’s activists, politicians and women who did or want perform abortion. The head of this radio, Tadeusz Rydzyk public offended the wife of the president, who was against constitution’s change. On internet, pro-life organization ; “Foundation Pro”, ultra catholic “Christian’s Culture Association name of P.Skarga”, came up with an action “call your MP and ask them to vote for the protection of the unborn life in the constitution” . Numbers to all 465 MPs with appeal appeared on catholic website “Faith.pl”, which showed also advertising shorts full of aborted foetuses.
Abortion became for church a sword to hack off the part of polish society that don’t only follow religious dogma
but aim themselves catholic. The supporters of free choice are put in opposition to defending the unborn life warriors, representing the former as evil and depraved human beings, who want the extermination off the polish nation and life in general.

The feedback from politicians were not much better .
On January Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski proposed his own vision of compromise around abortion and constitution’s change issue. The Document will change in ‘art.38’. by add:
“The Republic of Poland protect life of unborn by legislation and public forces”.
This proclamation one more time put contemporary abortion’s laws right in danger. If Kaczynski´s idea would pass in the parliament vote, it would give rights to doctors legally to say no for a abortion claim by women. Parallel what could mean its ban and criminalisation! The idea was took under special Committee for Constitution Changes” section.
The current president of Poland Lech Kaczynski, wants to keep the 93´ antiabortion law intact. He has even said so during international forum meetings. This proposition doesn’t benefit either sides. For pro-choice groups the law from 93´ doesn’t respect women ´s rights for the autonomy and dignity and for pro-lifers, rights of a foetus are more important then those of born human, the women carrying the foetus.
Right’s wing party in particular the LPR \\Polish Family League\\ were demanding a complete ban of abortion . The past leader of that party who is also the polish Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, during a Ministry of Education European meeting in Germany appealed for a ban to abortion and the promotion of homosexuality in euro pan and world arenas!
The other right-wing party PiS- \\Law and Justice\\ split in to two groups. One group included the most influential member, Prime Minister and Great Chancellor Marek Jurek, supported a change of the constitution concerning abortion and the other was against.
During this, the height time of controversy surrounding anti-abortion three prominent propositions appeared
First from them, proposed by PiS, which was to change ‘art 30’ of the constitution to say
“every human being have particular dignity from the moment of conception”
Second proposed by LPR, changed in ‘art.38’ to say that
“the human life is protect from the moment of conception to natural death”
The Third one came from the president who under strong catholic church, politicians, individuals pressure, demanded changes to ‘art.38´s’ constitution to claim
“ the life from the moment of conception will be protected by the constitution”,
“ any of the international or national laws can’t liberalize that document’s changes”
“under this constitution the unborn will be protected through help given to pregnant women”
This three amendments have been conducted by a Special Parliamentary Committee for Constitution Changes. The main voting happened after Easter.
In March the polish government received a UN report on the situation of woman in Poland, based on both polish government and feminist NGO´s organizations. The EU Committee criticized polish government, especially for the lack of access to abortion in cases allowed by the law. That endangered women’s health and lives. The next international blow against polish government policy regarding abortion law, was the outcome of Alicja Tysiac case in Strasbourg’s Tribunal. Which decided that denying the legal rights to abortion breached the human rights convention and the basic human rights freedom. One of the arguments was the violation of privacy. Alicja Tysiac was forced to give birth to her 3rd child, even though she had a serious eye impairment, worsening with every labour. This was confirmed by doctors-none of them wanted to legally confirm the health problems and give the permission to perform a legal abortion. As a result of that Alicja Tysiac, single mother of three, virtually lost her eyesight.
This two cases have one more time emphasized the impossibility of getting a legal abortion, guaranteed by the polish law. Show that the law is dead, as the doctors are afraid to give permission for the abortion or perform it on them daily legal, state’s work, using the consciousness clause from 92. The doctors fear is reinforced by the political and religious witch hunt and controls of private surgeries- where many doctors perform well paid back street abortions due to its illegality! The fear is also made further by the media.
From the beginning of the year 07´ two of this kind of case was publicized. In both, police violently entered the surgery and stopped doctors in their gynecologic duties. In one of them a woman patient was unconscious.

02 march the Special Committee… voted amendment in ‘art 30’ / of human dignity/ . The adjustment was move to second hearing. On that time Committee had voted under the other amendment, in ‘art.38.’

More of the pro-lifers created stronger pressure onto the complete banning of abortion, more pro-choice movement mobilized it self!

In 05 march happened “The great march of women’s solidarity” organized as a celebration of women’s day. Organized by 8’th March Women Alliance, Federation for Women and Family Planning, Lesbian Alliance, Pro-Choice, syndykalist’s group The July 80’s, Pro-Femina was dedicated to abortion and women’s reproductive rights brought together various organization, VIPs from culture, media, political grounds and more individuals. Emphasized was that, any changes restricting the access to abortion in the constitution will stop people to perform it, but it ban create more illegal danger for women’s life abortion and will make the back street abortion and abortion tourism, stronger.

14 march

Women’s groups Federation for Women... , Oneselfs by Ourselfs-SOS organized a rally “Against Constitution Changes” in front of polish parliament. Against the amendments in ‘art.38 and 30’. Against deprived women’s constitutional rights for protection.

28 March

The day of constitution’s change voting ad two big contra demos!
Pro-choice one, organized by different groups and individuals, named- “March in defense of women’s rights
and constitution<>” . In the crowd where mothers with children, elderly people, youths, many VIPs and others. During the demo they carried on with the collecting signatures against the changing in constitution-till today 11.000ish had signed up. The organizers from feminist groups appealed, for a referendum about matter of abortion to make it legally a personal choice of women, also because the constitution should be changed by the will of society not politicians personal beliefs! The culmination points was sending in to the space, pictures of two the most stronger, pro-lifers agitators ´Giertych and Rydzyk,
with the melody ”one way ticket”
Pro-life demo was organized by radio Maria, church and pro-life politicians-from PiS,
LPR- named “Big march for life” . Thousands of people mainly elderly, catholic youth and priests,
started the demo from the mass in the name of pro-life changes in constitution. After that took place “unborn crucifix march” in a way similar to that of jesus to Golgotha hill. Politicians took the opportunity, one more time to claim the support to ban the abortion. Demo finished after singing a very patriot historical and religious song, usually sang during the unsafe time for Poland.
After hours of debating the changing in constitution they weren’t voting.
The Committee postponed it. End of voting after Easter!

29 March

Silesian’s feminist from Cieszyn and Sosnowiec organized a silent pro-choice demo .

03 April

Public media informed about new, police ‘anti-back street abortion’ action in Dzialoszyn.

The next march for women rights to choose and abortion’s decriminalization, named “Rally in defense of life” happened 11 April in Warsaw and Katowice, two days before main voting.

13 April

The day of next pro-choice demo and the day of voting under the constitution change, which parliament, by slide bigger amount of voices rejected it!


The constitution in ‘art 30 and 38’ won’t be changed. It legally stopped pro-lifers trying to ban abortion by the national law, but the battle for women’s rights to choose is not the end! Right after voting, a member of LPR said, that they won’t stop the pro-life crusade in parliament and outdoor. Of course as well as catholic pro-life’s church individuals, organizations and PiS/ law and justice/ politicians wanted more police & court’s control of abortion’s underground practices.
On one hand can be harder now then ever to perform illegal abortion due to more control in private surgeries, and women’s private life by fanatic catholic part of society. Also won case won’t make doctors more open for a women reproduction rights and bring them together in to our fight, as it happened in USA, that’s what we wish. What should be said, contemporary, unchanged antiabortion law from 93´is still remained to be oppressive to women. Failed amendment is just a signal for a more mobilization between pro-choicer! We should take an advantage from that win and go forward in our action. Organize more demos, meetings, ‘coming outs’ and speak about need of legal abortion, good sexual education and free access to contraception, to have a total victory of free choice.
Hope that more women wake up from silence and hope that this battle, Alicja Tysiac´s case and more action, which appeared during that debate, will help many of us demand our rights from polish society, medical system and government. Hope that more men will join to us, understanding the meaning of choice and equality for everyone.
The situation with abortion law isn’t new for polish-international feminist groups, For a years women struggle to be treated like a human and could use all laws which belong to them. For years women feminists fight, to no more be push between patriarchal roles mother, saint, slut and being submissive to men, country or culture-religious interests. Isn’t easy making the changes in countries where the church have a big power over society and the government policy. Especially in Poland, because of polish pope J.P.II an his pro-life crusade and when the government is mostly created by right-wing catholic parties, and opposition is weak. In that polish situation- but also in general- state policy will always protect heterosexuality, perpetuate patriarchy and enslave women, since their main duty should be protection of real polish family and the production of new Polish for true catholic country, guard of morality in Europe. Polish pro-life government activity is also the natural continuation of policy from the years before ”round table”-the new born democracy and the anti-abortion law from 93. Some of the politicians from the past had power now and tried finish what they started, to ban abortion.
What is terrified but well known, mostly, catholic morality as pro-life defense doesn’t include women’s life, we should die for foetus, for new life, which coming. Our life mean more than that! We are not incubator like how pro-lifers would like to see us! Society can’t expect and push us to sacrifice our own lives! Right to choose is a basic thing which give power and create strong individuals. Don’t give them possibility to take that from us and you, to treat us like unconscious beings, not able to make decision and manage our own lives.
When we speak pro-choice we mean, respect the choice of women, we mean women should decide about themselves- mine and all women’s life. Woman should have power over their- my reproduction rights, over if they- I want be a mother or not.
We must have right to choose!

After massive pro-choice activ,61% polish want remit of antiabortion law, 56%- mind that women should have rights to perform abortion on social ground!
The struggle continues, Take your life in your hands, Together we are stronger!

The main polish pro-choice organizations:

- Federacja na rzecz kobiet I planowania rodziny / The Federation for Women and Family Planning www.federa.org.pl - general and latest information about women ‘s reproductive rights, abortion, underground and abroad abortion, contraception, sexual education, reports, news, photos…
- Astra - Central and Eastern European Women’s Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights http://www.astra.org.pl/
- SOS Same o Sobie /Oneselfs by Ourselfs/, ex Pro- Choice Group
http://prochoice.blox.pl/html/


The main pro-life polish organization /every damages on websites welcome!/:

- Polska federacja ruchow obrony zycia / The Polish Federation of Pro-life Movement http://www.prolife.com.pl/;
- Towarzystwo Odpowiedzialnego Rodzicielstwa
http://www.npr.prolife.pl/
- Stowarzyszenie Kultury Chrzescijanskiej im.P.Skargi /Christian’s Culture Association name of P.Skarga/
http://www.piotrskarga.pl/

petition - protest against total ban on abortion in Poland
http://www.federa.org.pl/?lang=2


Goska Wiedzma -WIEDZMA/www.wiedzma.most.org.pl
G. Nomad -SISTERTOSISTER/www.sistertosister.prv.pl

Thanks for helping us with translation: Basia K., Scrach, Sacha, LouLou, Tamao

from http://www.wiedzma.most.org.pl/en/index.php?co=art&art=Hell+od+women+in+Poland.htm