Informal networks of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy have multiplied and feminist NGOs have never been so much asked.
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While walking in the streets of Polish cities, it is not uncommon to see, on a bench, a bus stop or pacemeter, stickers with the following mention: “Do you need to abort? Calls the number … “From a bitter humor, these stickers often show a little flattering photograph of the muse of anti-abortion in Poland, the young Catholic fundamentalist Kaja Godek. Sign only a year after the Polish Constitutional Court issued the voluntary interruption of almost illegal pregnancy, the parallel networks of mutual aid between women are booming.
On 21 October 2020, the highest legal authority of the country, closely controlled by the National Conservative majority of the PIS (law and justice), judged unconstitutional abortion for malformation of the fetus. In a country where the legislation concerning IVG was already one of the most restrictive in Europe, this criterion concerned more than 95% of the 1,000 legal abortions carried out each year. This decision resulted in a protest movement of unpublished magnitude throughout the country.
One year later, women’s help associations are overwhelmed. In one year, the Federation for Women and Family Planning, a pioneer in the struggle for women’s rights in Poland, has responded to nearly 8,100 phone calls and more than 5,000 emails. It’s three times more than previous years. “Our interlocutors are often in a state of profound psychic distress, says Krystyna Kacpura, the President of the Federa. They do not know what to do. The new legislation has taken a blow to prenatal medicine. Sometimes the exams be prescribed too much late and doctors are in a permanent ethical dilemma. “
Multiplication of informal networks of self-help
To get around this wall, informal abortion mutual aid networks have multiplied, and feminist NGOs have never been asked so much. Particularly active, “aunts”, Polish volunteers living in neighboring countries, help women want to go abroad to abort. This is the case of “Ciocia Czesia” (“Aunt Czesia”) for the Czech Republic, “Ciocia Basia” for Germany and “Ciocia Wienia” for Austria.
Onlides, the “aunts” helped nearly a thousand women to abort this year. The Czech Republic is a particularly popular destination because of the relatively moderate cost of interventions: 2,000 zlotys (420 euros) on average. “Our help is to provide maximum reliable information,” says Marta Machalowska, “Ciocia Czesia” network. We particularly want to prevent women from using the fields of the abortive, unscrupulous and dishonest industry. We have our lists clinics and trust hospitals. “
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