In June, massive marches took place in several Polish cities, with participants protesting Poland's anti-abortion laws. Those laws are some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, and protestors called attention to a number of cases in which pregnant women died after being denied access to abortion. Although the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) claims that women can legally have abortions if their life or health is threatened, critics say that doctors have become increasingly reluctant to perform abortions even in such cases, given the prevailing stance of the government on this issue. The private Radio Zet commissioned a poll that indicates more than 70 percent of Poles believe the strict laws pose a threat to women's life and health.
Compiled from: Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, "'Stop killing us': Polish women protest against strict anti-abortion law," Reuters, June 14, 2023.