For #IWD2021 we want to draw attention to what is currently happening in Poland. Here is a thread to explain the situation. #StrajkKobiet
Last October, a ruling by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal in October declared that a 1993 law allowing abortions in the case of severe foetal abnormalities was unconstitutional.
Even before this ruling, Poland's abortion restrictions were among the strictest in the EU –– only slightly less restrictive than countries with total bans, like Malta and San Marino.
In reaction to this ruling, the people of Poland took to the streets last year to protest what would amount to a de facto ban on abortion, except in the cases of rape and incest, or if the pregnancy was a threat to the life of the woman.
Nevertheless, the ruling passed in January. As a result, women in Poland continue to protest, despite facing harassment, detention, prosecution and excessive use of force by police. Polls suggest a wide majority of people in Poland believe abortion laws should be relaxed.
Marta Lempart, a leader of the Polish Women’s Strike, has been charged with criminal felonies. She faces up to 8 years of imprisonment. This is the one of the ways the authorities are trying to shut down the protests, which are the biggest the country has seen in years.
In February, members of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) held a joint hearing on "Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the Rule of Law in Poland".
Watch extracts from that hearing here: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/joint-heari…
MEPs condemned the near-total ban on the right to abortion in Poland, but she also acknowledged that the EU has no competencies in abortion law. Read a more detailed article about the EU's reaction here: euobserver.com/political/1508…
We are attempting to raise awareness and solidarity with the women of Poland for #IWD2021 because we believe abortion is a human right, and a normal part of reproductive healthcare. Abortion bans are cruel, sexist, and in breach of human rights. #StrajkKobiet 
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