The initiative of citizens to relax the law prohibiting abortion was rejected by the Polish Parliament.
The members of Poland today rejected a proposal from the initiative of the citizens to relax the law prohibiting abortion, one of the most conservative in Europe.
The lower house, in which the ruling Conservative has a majority, vote against the proposal to allow voluntary abortion until the twelfth week of pregnancy.
A total of 265 deputies voted against the relaxation of the law, 175 in favor, while there were four abstentions.
Women’s rights activist Marta Lebard filed the bill, which garnered more than 200,000 signatures, stressing that it would be in line with Polish law. “Using standards across Europe and the world”.
The law banning abortion in Poland became more stringent in 2020, when the Constitutional Council sided with the government and ruled that abortion is “unconstitutional” even in cases of severe fetal deformity.
Abortion is currently prohibited in Poland except for rape and incest, as well as if the life or health of the mother is in danger.
The Polish government has justified its decision to tighten the legal framework, saying it wants to prevent “Eugenic abortions”, ignoring reactions from women’s rights organizations.
Even before the law was tightened, less than 2,000 legal abortions were performed each year in Poland. However, an estimated 200,000 Polish women are forced to perform “illegal” abortions each year, often fleeing abroad.
source: news 24 7
