“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman” [Bible; New Testament; Galatians 4:31]

Women’s protest in Poland

From 23/10/2020, women all over Poland took to the streets to demonstrate their refusal to agree to the tightening of the already strict abortion law. Men soon joined them, and various circles, including students and university authorities, medics, artists and farmers, declared their support for the protest.

For more than a week the number of protesters has been increasing despite their different political views and beliefs, they share a common slogan: “we have enough”.

The government has chosen the most unfavorable moment to introduce controversial legislation, when any social dialogue is significantly impeded due to the pandemic and social isolation. Even so, the crowds in the streets carry one basic message — the threat of losing freedom is more terrible than losing anything else, a nation will not give up its human rights.

Social frustration erupted last Thursday when the Polish Constitutional Court banned abortion even in the case of serious and irreversible fetal defects.

In point 13 “European Parliament resolution of 15 November 2017 on the situation of the rule of law and democracy in Poland (2017/2931 (RSP))” the EP’s position on this matter was clarified — “Strongly criticizes any legislative proposal that would prohibit abortion in cases of severe or fatal foetal impairment; stresses that universal access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare and the associated rights, is a fundamental human right; strongly reaffirms its support for women’s rights organizations, as they have recently been the target of legal prosecution”. We can see that the Polish government did not take into account indicated recommendations, as well as the women themselves.

In a country where, at least theoretically, freedom of religion is in force, the rulers, relying on religious beliefs, want to force women to bear and give birth to even dead or terminally ill fetuses. Sacrifice and heroism are to be a legal obligation. This restriction of human rights allegedly stems from faith that presupposes the existence of free will.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions”. [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a3.htm]

No wonder people took to the streets. The protest is justified. It should come as no surprise that people want to be able to decide for themselves. Women want to decide about their lives.

How sad that in the 21st century we still have to protest in the streets to convince the government that we are more than uteruses.