FEDERA’S STATEMENT AT THE 54TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Human Rights Council 54th session of the Human Rights Council September 2023 Item 3: General Debate Thank you, President. I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland. With the upcoming parliamentary elections in Poland we reiterate the imperative of decriminalisation and legalisation of access to abortion in Poland to save lives and preserve the health of women, girls and pregnant persons. The criminalisation of abortion is taking READ MORE

REQUEST FOR SIGN-ON: HRC54 JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT ON ABORTION

In support of the upcoming International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September, the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas, the International Service for Human Rights, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, MSI Reproductive Choices and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education have developed a joint statement READ MORE

FEDERA’S STATEMENT FOR THE 53RD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Below you will find FEDERA’s statement for the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe González Morales following his visit to Poland. Human Rights Council53st session of the Human Rights CouncilJune 2023 Thank you, President. I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland.We welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human READ MORE

OUTCOME OF THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF POLAND AT THE 52ND SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

During the March session of the Human Rights Council FEDERA made a statement on the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Poland. The statement derived from the UPR report FEDERA and Sexual Rights Initiative submitted to the Human Rights Council for the purpose of Poland’s review. In the statement we welcomed the robust recommendations addressed to Poland on sexual and reproductive health and rights and women’s rights (17 of them on SRHR only!), and READ MORE

FEDERA AT THE 52ND SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL – DECRIMINALIZATION OF ABORTION IN POLAND IS IMPERATIVE

Human Rights Council 52nd session of the Human Rights Council March 2023 Thank you, President. I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland. Decriminalisation of abortion in Poland is imperative. The recent case of criminal conviction of an ?activist who helped in abortion and persistent denials of legal abortion services demonstrate that only full liberalisation and decriminalisation of abortion would make a change in the Polish context. READ MORE

POLAND’S UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW – 17 RECOMMENDATIONS ON ACCESS TO SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION

The review of Poland under the Fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review was held on 15 November 2022 by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review. Two days after the Working Group adopted the report on Poland containing 433 recommendations to improve the protection of human rights as regards its full spectrum covered by the international human rights treaties. In the area of sexual and reproductive rights Poland has received recommendations from 17 States. READ MORE

SRHR AND FEDERA OVERVIEW – SEPTEMBER 2022

RELEVANT SRHR DEVELOPMENTS IN POLAND Criminal charges against doctors in the case of Izabela from Pszczyna In 22 September 2021 Izabela from Pszczyna died for lack of access to life saving abortion care. Following family notification to the Prosecutor, one year later the three doctors who were responsible for taking care of Izabela have been charged with causing danger to her life and health. In addition, two out of three doctors have been charged with READ MORE

FEDERA’S STATEMENT AT THE 51ST SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN GENEVA

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 READ MORE

FEDERA STATEMENT FOR THE 50TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE WORKING GROUP ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Human Rights Council 50th regular session of the Human Rights Council 16 June 2022   Thank you Mr. President, I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland. We welcome the Working Group’s report and analysis on the importance and restrictions faced by young feminist activists, including those organizing for sexual rights. In Poland too, young feminists organizing for abortion access are facing threats, reprisals and criminalization for READ MORE

FEDERA AND SRI’S REPORT TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS FOR THE UPR OF POLAND

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 READ MORE

FEDERA’S STATEMENT CONCERNING THREATS FOR SRHR DURING THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN POLAND READ DURING THE UN HRC SESSION

On March 22, during the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, our statement was read.    Human Rights Council 49th regular session of the Human Rights Council ITEM 4 General debate 21 March 2022 I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland. As a result of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, around 2 million Ukrainians fled to Poland[1] majority of whom are women READ MORE

NEW WHO ABORTION CARE GUIDELINE IS OUT

The new WHO Abortion Care Guideline is out. The new guideline updates the WHO’s last version issued in 2012. Drawing on the latest scientific evidence and data, the guideline provides recommendations on abortion law and policy approaches, clinical management, and service delivery for states and health systems to follow. 

THE FEDERATION’S REPORT THE UN COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE

In January 2022 the Federation for Women and Family Planning submitted report to the Committee against Torture for its consideration in the context of the preparation of the List of Issues Prior to Reporting on Poland’s implementation of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. This submission highlights Poland’s ongoing failure to comply with its human rights obligations under the Convention concerning access to safe abortion care. The READ MORE

FEDERATION’S STATEMENTS AT THE 48TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

On 1 October the Federation presented its statement at the debate on Universal Periodic Reviews in the context of Poland’s upcoming review in 2020. We urged Human Rights Council and all member states to hold our government accountable for obligations to ensure right to safe, legal and accessible abortion, modern contraception and comprehensive sexuality education. On 4 October our statement was read out for the occasion of the International Safe Abortion Day. As each year READ MORE

HRC48 JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT ON ABORTION – REQUEST TO SIGN UNTIL 1 OCTOBER

For the International Safe Abortion Day, the Federation for Women and Family Planning within the coalition of the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas, the International Service for Human Rights, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education have developed a joint statement READ MORE

THE FEDERATION REPORTS TO THE UN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

26 August 2021 — The 88th session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child will be held this September during which Poland is to report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Federation for Women and Family Planning submitted a report to the Committee presenting Poland’s numerous deficiencies in fulfilling its obligations under the Convention as regards ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services, including READ MORE

WE DEMAND DECRIMINALIZATION OF ABORTION IN POLAND – THE FEDERATION’S STATEMENT AT THE UN HRC47

Human Rights Council47th regular session of the Human Rights Council21 June 2021 – 13 July 2021ID with WG on discrimination against women – report on Women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights in crisis I make this statement on behalf of the Federation for Women and Family Planning from Poland.We welcome the Working Group’s reports on SRHR in crisis, on its visit to Romania, and its continuous monitoring of the SRHR crisis in Poland READ MORE

UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN CLOSES WITH RENEWED COMMITMENT TO GENDER EQUALITY

March 26 — The 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the foremost intergovernmental body dedicated to gender equality, came to a close on Friday, 26 March 2021, after negotiations on the text of the agreed conclusions stretched into the final day of the conference. The Women’s Rights Caucus (WRC)—a global coalition of more than 200 feminist organizations, networks, and collectives that advocates for gender equality at the United READ MORE

65TH SESSION OF THE UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

March 19 — From 15 to 26 March 2021, the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women is taking place. Due to COVID-19 situation, most of the meetings are virtual. Priority theme this year is: Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Read more about the CSW and its programme READ MORE

OUR STATEMENT ON THE 46TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

On  the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council the Federation for Women and Family Planning, on behalf of the Great Coalition for Equality and Choice presented the statement on yet more alarming violations of reproductive rights of Polish women. Watch the debate here.    46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 3: General Debate Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland 8 March 2021   Thank you, President, The Federation READ MORE

SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF UN RECOMMENDATIONS ON ABORTION IN POLAND – Oct 2020

Poland has received several recommendations from the UN on abortion. Several UN treaty bodies have also recommended Poland to expand access to abortion in order to comply with its human rights obligations under the Convention against Torture,[i] the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,[ii] the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,[iii] the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,[iv] the Convention on the Rights of the Child,[v] and the READ MORE

POLAND HAS SLAMMED DOOR SHUT ON LEGAL AND SAFE ABORTIONS

Poland has slammed door shut on legal and safe abortions – UN experts  GENEVA (27 October 2020) – “Poland has decided to sacrifice women’s human right to safe and legal health services for termination of pregnancy on account of protection of the right to life of the unborn in violation of its international human rights obligations,” independent human rights experts* have said in response to the ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court to ban abortions READ MORE