Women in Poland are walking off their jobs today, but their strike isn’t just about labor relations. The mass action is about autonomy over their bodies—namely, whether women or the government should decide if and when terminating a pregnancy is appropriate.
The issue has been fodder for a number of far-rights groups that have made gains across Europe. In France, the National Front, led by Marine le Pen, has made opposition to abortion part of their platform in the run-up to elections in May. In Germany, the far-right Alternative Fur Deutschland party, which made election gains in chancellor Angela Merkel’s home state last month, includes banning abortion in its manifesto. [...]
Abortion is legal–with various hurdles and restrictions–in most of Europe. A big exception is Ireland, where abortion is illegal in almost all cases. Irish women who need abortions travel to the UK, if they can afford it.
In the US, a vocal and violent anti-abortion movement ensures that the issue remains one of the most contentious in American politics. Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the presidency, has a more moderate stance on abortion, although his running mate Mike Pence is considered a hardline anti-abortionist.
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