In this session’s statement FEDERA focus is on access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual assaults including refugees from Ukraine and Belarus.
Human Rights Council
51st regular session of the Human Rights Council
September 2022
Thank you President.
I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland.
Ukrainian refugees even those who are survivors of sexual assault face severe obstacles in access to abortion care. The law requires them to obtain a certificate from the Polish prosecuting authorities attesting to the crime which is almost impossible to obtain for lack of clear procedures and accompanying stigma around reporting in Poland. In 2021 there were not even 1 abortion procedure following pregnancy resulting from rape recorded in the official statistics of the Ministry of Health. The survivor-centred procedures to follow by medical providers and police who are assisting survivors are not binding and properly disseminated. Even emergency contraception requires doctor’s prescription.
We call on all the States to hold Poland accountable for the violationscease to repeat a call to remove all these preexisting barriers – to ensure availability and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health care (abortion and contraception) for all citizens, Polish and Ukrainians will benefit it obviously.
