In great news, the mass strikes and protests in Poland appear to have led their government to halt plans for a complete ban on abortion.
The proposal to make all abortions illegal, including cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s life is endangered, caused outrage. A petition gathered over 450,000 signatures and thousands of men and women wore black and took part in a nation-wide strike to protest against the government’s intentions.
It seems like their anger didn’t go unnoticed: Jaroslaw Gowin, the minister for science and education, said that the protests ‘caused us to think and taught us humility’, indicating that the proposed change will not go ahead. However the bill is formally being discussed today.
But the news isn’t all good. It is still, in the majority of cases, illegal to get abortions in Poland. The fact that a total ban caused such uproar certainly is something to celebrate, but even a general outlawing of abortion is taking away a woman’s right to control over her own body. With the government taking notice, hope is offered to women across the globe; our voices are being heard if we shout loudly enough.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.