Women’s health center opens near Polish parliament building
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Polish abortion rights activists made a bold statement on International Women’s Day by inaugurating an abortion support center directly opposite Warsaw’s parliament building, offering women a safe space to undergo pill-based abortions in a communal setting.
The strategic location of the facility serves as a direct challenge to Poland’s establishment, particularly significant in a country known for its strong Catholic influence and highly restrictive abortion regulations, which are among the most stringent in Europe.
The opening ceremony was met with resistance from a small but vocal group of demonstrators outside the facility. Security measures were in place, with both private guards and police forces maintaining order by keeping protesters separated from those attending the inauguration.
🇵🇱 The Polish Parliament has rejected the decriminalization of abortion. pic.twitter.com/TSgepsoRR5
— Expat in Poland 🇵🇱 (@BasedPoland2) July 12, 2024
The initiative, spearheaded by the Abortion Dream Team organization, represents the first permanent abortion facility of its kind in Poland. The center aims to provide an alternative to women who would otherwise face taking abortion pills alone in their homes.
The organization’s mission extends beyond immediate support, seeking to challenge political attitudes and combat the stigma surrounding abortion. According to the activists, despite one in four Polish women having undergone the procedure, it remains a subject shrouded in secrecy and shame.
🚨 Outrage in Poland! 🇵🇱
A radical feminist group has ILLEGALLY opened an abortion clinic, defying the country’s pro-life laws.
They plan to distribute abortion pills and perform abortions. Our team in Poland is taking action, this crime must not go unchallenged! #WomensDay… pic.twitter.com/5tTraOXp0F
— CitizenGO (@CitizenGO) March 8, 2025
The issue has political implications for Donald Tusk, Poland’s centrist prime minister who assumed office following the 2023 election. Despite campaign pledges to reform abortion laws, including a promise to permit abortions until the twelfth week of pregnancy, Tusk has found himself constrained by the diverse ideological makeup of his coalition, which includes both progressive pro-choice advocates and conservative opponents.
Tusk has since acknowledged that he currently lacks sufficient parliamentary support to implement his promised reforms to the abortion law.
