The Case of Dr. Górnicki
Jarosław Górnicki, a doctor who helps women by issuing emergency contraception prescriptions for a nominal fee, was reprimanded by the Regional Medical Court in Warsaw. Dr Górnicki refused to hand over his patients’ records at the request of the medical council in order to protect their privacy. For this reason, he was charged with a disciplinary offence.
The European Consortium for Emergency Contraception publish a statment in his defence, and a petition for the doctor’s acquittal was signed by over 25,000 people.
Dr Górnicki had the support of FEDERA and its Legal Team.
European Abortion Policies Atlas
The European Parliamentary Forum for SRHR has published the latest edition of the Abortion Policies Atlas, a pan-European study on abortion regulations in Europe. Once again, Poland ranked among the lowest in Europe. Experts, on the other hand, praised the regulations of Western European countries such as France and Sweden.
This year, the Atlas’s expert panel included Ewa Szymera, representing Astra Network, and Mateusz Bieżuński from FEDERA.
Interdisciplinary Clinical Guidelines on the Clinical Management of Rape
Mateusz Bieżuński from the FEDERA team took part in a round table discussion with representatives of the government, the medical community, non-governmental organisations and the World Health Organisation on the publication of the first Polish guidelines for working with survivors of sexual violence.
FEDERA was actively involved in the consultation process and co-creation of the guidelines from the very beginning.
Change in the Law on Miscarriage
A great success for FEDERA! Many years of advocacy for a change in the law, which required women to undergo tests to determine the sex of the foetus in order to obtain shortened leave and a funeral allowance, have come to a successful conclusion.
The law will no longer require knowledge of the sex of the foetus; medical documentation confirming pregnancy and stillbirth will suffice. The new regulations also introduce a special medical certificate – issued by a specialist or a doctor undergoing specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology – confirming stillbirth on the basis of medical or obstetric documentation, regardless of the duration of the pregnancy. In the case of funeral allowance, it will also be possible to present a death certificate.
Verdict in the Case of the Death of Izabela from Pszczyna – a Victim of Polish Antiabortion Law
The District Court in Pszczyna has issued a verdict in the case of Izabela’s death. Three doctors were charged with exposing the patient to direct danger of loss of life, and one of them was additionally charged with unintentional manslaughter. The court sentenced the defendants to one year, one year and three months, and one year and six months of imprisonment, suspended. The court also decided that, in addition to the prison sentences, the doctors would lose their right to practise their profession for four and six years, respectively. The verdict is not final.
FEDERA at the Social Women’s Congress
FEDERA’s advocacy coordinator, Antonina Lewandowska, took part in the 6th Social Women’s Congress held in Poznań. Antonina participated in the panel ‘How to build a social feminist movement?’. She discussed effective strategies for building a broad social feminist movement in Poland. The discussion focused on common values and areas for cooperation, on creating (non-obvious) alliances and on the practical aspects of organising the movement.
FEDERA’s “Sexual and Reproductive Health 2025” Conference
Together with the Polish Society for Sexual and Reproductive Health, we organised a conference in Warsaw entitled ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health 2025’. Experts from the PSSRH presented the latest medical standards on abortion, contraception and systemic support for victims of sexual violence in accordance with European recommendations, while FEDERA presented the legal and social aspects of abortion in Poland.
Together, we trained Polish medical staff in performing vacuum abortions, which are less invasive than the curettage commonly used in Poland and are internationally recommended. All this was done with a group of young medical professionals from all over Poland, who at the end signed a joint Declaration for the Future of Sexual and Reproductive Health. We are planning further training courses so that as many people as possible responsible for patient safety have the appropriate knowledge and awareness – not only medical, but also legal. Our priority is to improve the quality and accessibility of abortion care, regardless of the political situation in the country.
FEDERA at the European Left Alliance Youth Summer Camp
We took part in a panel discussion on mass women’s movements – we discussed the challenges faced by their participants and organisers, the changes they brought about – both social and political – what triggered their emergence and where they encountered difficulties. The discussion was attended by Marilyn dos Santos (PODEMOS), Manon Aubry (LFI), Julia Karwan-Jastrzębska (FEDERA),
