Foundation for Women and Family Planning (FEDERA) and the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) submitted a joint report on the state and degree of violations of sexual and reproductive rights by Poland for the Fourth Universal Periodic Review of Poland planned for November 2022. The report focuses on violations of women’s sexual and reproductive rights in and the stark impact of the restriction on abortion introduced in November 2020 that amounts to quasi total abortion ban in Poland. The report also addresses barriers in access to contraception, neglect and demonisation of comprehensive sexuality education, and the decrease in ante-natal care.
These numerous negative developments and on-going regression of rights demonstrates lack of will to comply with the recommendations from the previous UPR and numerous other calls and recommendations from international mechanisms and bodies. Poland not only failed to implement relevant recommendations from the previous UPR cycle but went further in limiting sexual and reproductive rights and health services violating international human rights law and the principle of non-retrogression.