On Thursday, 22 October, women across more than 20 cities and towns in Poland organised protests to advocate for access to safe and legal abortion. Many demonstrators gathered in front of the Polish parliament in the capital, Warsaw, despite adverse weather conditions. They carried red cards to express their dissatisfaction with the government and held banners displaying messages such as “Women’s hell continues” and “Men of quality don’t fear equality.”
The protests were initiated in response to the perceived failure of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal administration to fulfil its commitment to relax Poland’s stringent abortion laws. This demonstration took place following the parliament’s approval of two bills aimed at easing abortion regulations earlier that week. However, the national-conservative president, Karol Nawrocki, is expected to veto these measures.
Zofia Marcinek, a representative of the Abortion Dream Team (ADT), a reproductive rights advocacy group in Warsaw, expressed concerns that the government’s actions may reflect mere symbolic gestures rather than a true commitment to reform. She said the liberal government knows the draft laws may not withstand a veto and that its actions likely aim to project progress to secure electoral support from women in next year’s elections.
PiS law causes most abortions to be performed secretly
Since 1993, legal abortions in Poland, which is predominantly Catholic, have only been permitted in specific circumstances: severe fetal abnormalities, risks to the mother’s life or health, or cases of rape or incest. Polish women have been advocating for the legalisation of abortion ever since, notably in a nationwide series of demonstrations called the “Black Protest,” which began in 2016.
Instead of liberalising abortion laws, Poland’s abortion regulations were tightened further in 2020, banning abortions for fetuses with congenital disabilities under the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government.
Despite these restrictions, abortions remain common in Poland, with most being performed by women at home using pills obtained from abroad. Women who undergo abortions, including those using pills, do not face criminal charges under Polish law. However, individuals who assist them, such as doctors or family members, could potentially face prosecution. Abortion continues to be a taboo topic in Poland, which now has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, second only to Malta.
Activists accuse Polish government of disinformation
In 2023, Tusk’s pro-European coalition won the election, partly based on a commitment to liberalise Poland’s abortion laws. However, by 2024, Tusk acknowledged that his government would likely face obstacles because the national-conservative president, elected with the votes of PiS and the far-right, was expected to veto the bill.
In response, new measures were implemented to prevent hospitals from denying legal abortions on the grounds of religious beliefs. Tusk stated, “The state will increasingly stand on the side of women when they are making significant decisions in their lives.”
Data from the national health fund reveals that Polish hospitals conducted 573 abortions in the first half of 2026, compared to only 452 procedures performed in the entirety of 2022, before Tusk’s administration. Nonetheless, activists contend that tens of thousands of abortions take place each year outside of hospital settings. Organisers of protests have expressed concerns that Tusk’s government has not fulfilled its promises to Polish women, arguing that claims of improved access to abortion have, in fact, complicated care for many individuals.
Marcinek emphasised the detrimental effects of governmental messaging, stating, “Women who become pregnant hear the prime minister assert that everything is proceeding smoothly and that access to abortion is available. However, when they arrive at hospitals, they discover this is not the case. Consequently, they often seek our assistance when the situation has become complex and costly.”
Furthermore, Marcinek said international donors are becoming less inclined to support Polish women’s rights, mistakenly believing conditions have improved.
Activists opened “abortion clinic” in 2025
In 2025, the Abortion Dream Team opened an “abortion clinic” across from the parliament building in Warsaw, offering women information and a supportive environment for taking abortion pills. They also launched a parcel locker system, known as “Abortomat,” run by the nonprofit Women Help Women, that lets women pick up pills the next day instead of waiting up to two weeks for delivery.
Marcinek noted that some women cannot order pills at home due to unsupportive family or abusive partners and can use a PIN to collect their pills privately. The Abortion Dream Team emphasised that in Poland, assisting with an abortion is illegal, stating, “In Poland, assisting with an abortion is a criminal offence. Even passing the pills from hand to hand can be considered a crime,” the Abortion Dream Team wrote in a statement. “That’s why we’re hacking the Criminal Code and bringing abortion into the 21st century.”
This article used information from The Associated Press.
