what’s happening in poland and how you can help

//abortion

polish women have already had restricted access to abortion for decades. there were only four circumstances where they could legally get one- now there’s three.

//rape, incest

the government has banned abortions due to fetal deformities. now they can only get them if they were raped, subjected to incest, or have prominent threats to their health from the fetus.

so, what’s so bad about it?

1. rights

hundreds of thousands of people have flocked the streets in protest for years every time they’ve tried to pass this law, or things similar. with everything going on now, they can’t. only 2/13 judges listened to past protests.

the other 11 did not. they ruled to ban fetal deformity-based abortions.

2. trauma

giving birth is already such a painful thing.

giving birth to stillborn babies is extremely traumatic.

women can no longer lessen the pain from they go through after nine months. even if they knew the baby wouldn’t be born breathing, they have no say. the child and mother will be put through months of pain for nothing.

3. illegal risks

around 2000 legal abortions per year were documented before this law was passed. however, the illegal rate was tens to hundreds of thousands time that. these abortions may not have been done by licensed doctors, and could increase risk of dangerous reactions.

imagine what will happen when restrictions tighten more?

4. doctors using it as excuses

while not all doctors will, some may claim there’s no guaranteed health risk to the mother, or say that the fetus’ deformity negates it. this could allow doctors to force mothers to carry out and finish pregnancies, despite risks to her.

5. oh, and basic womens’ rights.

so, what can you do?

sign petitions such as:

https://www.change.org/p/polish-government-legalise-abortions-in-poland-women-deserve-their-own-choice

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/pl/solidarity_with_polish_women_32/?cWBnmqb https://www.change.org/p/starbucks-make-abortion-in-poland-fully-legal-give-woman-a-choice-%EF%B8%8F?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22527405_en-GB%3Av11&recruiter=1095354971&recruited_by_id=05a18330-a109-11ea-baca-27eeb13d4d01&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial

if you have any, TALK TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS!!!!! even if they are not protesting specifically for polish women, THEY CAN HELP!!!!!!!!! they have experience with advocating for it, and can tell you how you can most efficiently help.

if you live in/near poland, write to the government! not every voice will be heard, but every voice in a choir makes it more noticeable. the more people that write to them, the more likely they will be to read/consider things!

raise awareness. take a second to interact with a post to get it on someone’s TL, or make your own post! speak about it, spread the word! tell people!

this all said, if i have any polish moots, please comment anything i missed below. the more info, the better!!!!

[added on late]

apparently http://change.org  is basically useless in poland but there’s another petition you can sign!!! https://dzialaj.akcjademokracja.pl/campaigns/aborcja

for the last tweet, instructions are here https://mobile.twitter.com/TheTinfoilSoul/status/1319403101808373760