Attacks on women’s right to choose are regular and come from both the anti-choice civil society and the Government. In November 2016 Human Rights Committee recommended that Polish authorities should refrain from adopting any legislative reform that would amount to a retrogression of already restrictive legislation on women’s access to safe legal abortion. It is especially important in the light of the another petition for introducing a total ban on abortion which is pending in the parIiamentary Petition Committee right now. The women’s groups expected it to be rejected on 26th January 2017 beceause of its many imperfections. However, the Committee resolved the matter through issuing a formal request to the Prime Minister. Beata Szydło is expected to address the Petition Committee with information about the Government’s activity in the field of “life protection”. Based on this feedback the Committee will decide on the petition’s next steps.

Source: Federation for Women and Family Planning