“To our sisters in Poland: Solidarity. We are with you in this fight”
November 4, 2020
The women of Northern England Labour Left wish to express their support for the heroic women protesting and striking in Poland in order to defend reproductive rights.
On October 22nd 2020 an illegal and unconstitutional tribunal ruled against abortions for cases of foetal abnormality. Since the majority of abortions taking place in Poland, a country whose abortion laws were already unacceptably strict, are carried out on the grounds of foetal abnormality, this ruling constitutes a de facto ban on abortion itself. This disempowers and disrespects women, and limits and harms their rights when the world should be fighting to expand and improve them. It threatens women’s health and lives and forces women to choose between giving birth to babies who will die or seeking unregulated and dangerous abortions. More than that, it is part of a calculated attempt to tighten political control and damage democracy by the ruling party. The women of Northern England Labour Left condemn the ruling and call for its immediate reversal.
The response of the people has been an inspiration. The protests and strikes of Polish women demanding their rights are bringing Poland to a standstill, showing what can be achieved when we support each other and reminding women everywhere that we will no longer stand for the injustice of gender inequality and will fight any attempt to disempower us as a united, unstoppable force.
To our sisters in Poland: Solidarity. We are with you in this fight.