Federa news and projects
At the end of January, in a small town in Podlasie (Eastern part of Poland), a 24-year-old girl with intellectual disability was raped by her uncle. When it turned out that she was pregnant, the prosecutor was notified and initiated criminal investigation. Two hospitals closest to her place of residence refused to perform abortion relying on conscientious objection. The girl’s aunt called FEDERA asking for help with a legal abortion. Abortion care was provided to the girl in one of the Warsaw hospitals.
This case reignited the discussion on the abuse of the right to conscientious objection.
The entire medical facility cannot rely on this right, this is the right of an individual only. The management of the medical facility, in case of consciousness based refusal is obliged to indicate the staff who will ensure the access to medical service which is guaranteed within the public health scheme. FEDERA has been demanding for years to abolish the conscientious objection and cases like this show its harming effect on women seeking even legal abortion. See FEDERA call to repeal the right to conscientious objection.
30 years of antiabortion law in force in Poland
FEDERA drafted a statement accusing the politicians for making this inhuman Act a lived reality of women in Poland for 30 years too long. Please read in this regards FEDERA comments (in Polish) to the government’s report from the implementation for the year 2020 of the Act on Family Planning, Human Embryo Protection and Conditions of Permissibility of Abortion of 7 January 1993.
Two years since the entry into force of the Constitutional Tribunal ruling
Another disgraceful anniversary. For this occasion FEDERA makes summary analysis of what has been happening since the ruling, exposing abortion hypocrisy of the Polish government and institutional violence against pregnant persons in Poland.
FEDERA’s SRHR support for Ukrainian refugees
LEAFLET ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN REFUGEES and information on our legal helpline I Ukrainian and Polish here
- New brochures in Ukrainian and Russian about contraception, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted infections and growing up guide (for adolescents). Links below:
- Contraception: Ukrainian, Russian language versions;
- Emergency contraception: Ukrainian, Russian language versions;
- Sexually transmitted infections: Ukrainian, Russian language versions;
- Growing up guide for adolescents (Ponton): Ukrainian, Russian language versions
- Joint initiative addressing SRHR needs of women and girls fleeing the war in Ukraine
Since June 2022, led by the Center for Reproductive Rights, FEDERA and Feminoteka are the two organisations from Poland that together with other organisations from countries bordering Ukraine have been working together on a project to document the experiences of adult refugee women from Ukraine who needed access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence support services.
For the detailed information about all our activities please check both Polish and English websites, our FB, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Relevant SRHR developments
On January 11, Justyna’s fourth hearing took place in the district court of Warsaw. The Abortion Dream Team activist faces three years in prison for passing the abortion pill which falls under art. 152§2 of the Polish Criminal Code. This time the witness of the prosecution, the partner who reported the pill case to the police appeared in court and testified. Next hearings will be held on February 6 and March 14.
Update on antigender movement in Poland
Ordo Iuris newest publication ”Freedom of speech, consciousness and religion in the workplace”
The guide constitutes Ordo Iuris’ response to high-profile media cases, such as the case of the printer who refused to print material for an LGBT organisation or the case of the employee of a furniture company who was fired for publishing homophobic content. The guide contains a number of manipulative interpretations of legal provisions, including alleged application of a conscientious objection to pharmacists.