The initial change in legislation, which was proposed by the governing Law and Justice party (PiS) on the 23rd of September 2016, sought to completely ban all abortion. This would mean that in cases of incest and rape, victims would be forced to carry the child throughout the entire pregnancy. The implementation of the new legislation could also lead to police investigations around miscarriages. In the case of admittance to hospital, following a miscarriage, the police would be informed in order to determine whether the miscarriage was due to natural causes, or as a result of an attempted ‘abortion’. Should the woman be found guilty, she could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison. [...]
The first protest against the blanket ban took place on the 3rd of October, seeing as many as 30,000 people on the streets of Warsaw alone. Many women boycotted work and classes in order to attend the protest. Most were dressed in black, symbolic of ‘mourning the death of the women’s rights,’ if the legislation were to be passed. They also carried placards, bearing messages such as “My uterus, my opinion” and “Girls just wanna have FUN-damental rights”. [...]
Another protest erupted on the 24th of October, in response to a new proposal made by Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of PiS. Kaczyński said that his party wants to ensure that even pregnancies involving a child that is “certain to die or very deformed, still end in birth, so that the child can be baptised, buried, have a name”. The new proposal would mean that abortion is still permitted in cases of rape and incest, and where there is health or life in peril. It would, however, illegalise the removing of a foetus that is irreparably damaged. [...]
In wake of the controversy surrounding the school, disciplinary hearings have been issued to the female teachers who supported the protest. So far, only one teacher – Aleksandra Piotrowska – has been found innocent by the Board of Education in Katowice. During the hearing, the committee said that everyone has the right to religion and freedom of speech. However, the committee also brought to attention the fact that in the etiquette of the teaching profession, particular caution and sensitivity should be taken when voicing personal opinions.
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