Poland’s lower house of parliament has passed two bills easing restrictions on its near-total abortion ban, including reduced penalties for those assisting women in accessing care and expanded access for foetal abnormalities. Campaigners welcome the move as a cautious but necessary step forward, though they acknowledge its limited scope. The legislation now faces an expected veto from the country’s nationalist president, underscoring the deep political divide over reproductive rights. Protests are set to intensify as activists push for broader legal reforms.
Measures would remove some penalties for those helping women access abortion but are ‘small-scale step’, say campaignersPoland’s lower house of parliament has approved two bills aimed at loosening a near-total ban on abortions, in what campaigners have described as a “small-scale step” ahead of protests calling on the government to fulfil its promises to overhaul the country’s laws.The new measures, which are likely to be vetoed by Poland’s nationalist president, would remove some of the criminal penalties for those who help women to access abortion care and allow terminations in cases of foetal abnormalities. Continue reading...
