Women’s rights are human rights

The situation of women in Poland continues to deteriorate – in the recent months we have witnessed a real attempt to further restrict the current law on abortion, which already made it difficult to obtain a legal procedure. The “Stop Abortion” civic committee succeeded in submitting a draft law introducing a complete ban on abortion and a new category into the criminal code – “prenatal murder”, which will introduce penalty of 3 to 5 years in prison for women, doctors and anyone helping a woman to perform an abortion. The group, supported by the Ordo Iuris, a conservative and anti-choice organization, had already collected the needed 100 000 signatures under its draft law thereby securing its reading and debate in the Polish Parliament, possibly already in July or early Autumn.

The social movement among Polish society which arose as a response to the current political climate resulted in several civil society initiatives and a rise of awareness in society and growth of public debate around issues such as equal pay, access to health services (especially reproductive health) and effective enforcement of the law and justice for domestic violence survivors.

This Saturday, June 18th, the Women’s Dignity March (Facebook event) is taking place in Warsaw. The protest, with theme of Women’s rights are human rights is organized by a “group of ordinary Polish women” who in a spontaneous reaction to the proposal to introduce a total ban on abortion on April 1st, 2016 decided to organise a protest. The group does not have politicians standing behind tchem and they are not members of feminist organisations. “We work in the film industry, in the corpo-world or are selfemployed. We decided we can use our energy and potential to organise a march. On 18th of June, in Warsaw we will march with the slogan “Women’s rights are human rights” to show that we will allow our rights be violated. This is the first step in a long struggle that awaits us.”

What does the Women Dignity March wish to achieve?

RESPECT for our dignity and bodily integrity

RIGHT to privacy, health and life protection

PUNISHMENT for perpetrators of physical and psychological domestic violence

RESTORATION of FULL REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT of ALIMONY PAYMENTS

JUST PUNISHMENTS for rapists

SEXUALITY EDUCATION for us and our children

ACCESS to the newest medical discoveries

The right to safe interruption of pregnancy under applicable law

We demand EQUALITY and respect for women’s DIGNITY!

See message from the organizers with background information HERE.

If you wish to show your support please send a photo of yourself with #MarszGodnosci, #DignityMarch and #SolidarityWithPolishWomen to federa@astra.org.pl

THANK YOU!

Source: Women’s Dignity March