Nearly six million people are expected to take part in an all-out strike on Monday against a plan to effectively ban women in Poland from having abortions. Thousands of Poles took part in demonstrations over the weekend, as momentum built ahead of the mass action when women in several other European countries are expected to protest in solidarity with the strikers. Female workers across the country will withdraw their labor in an effort to bring the economy to a standstill and highlight attempts to tighten already restricted abortion laws even further.
Terminations are currently permitted in Poland, where 87% of the population identify as Catholic, only when the life of the foetus is under threat, when there is a grave threat to the health of the mother, or when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. If the proposed ban were enacted, all terminations would be criminalized and women who had abortions could be sent to prison for up to five years. Doctors found to have assisted with a termination would also be liable for prosecution and a prison sentence. Critics say the new law could mean woman suffering miscarriages would be suspected and investigated, and doctors might be put off conducting even routine procedures on pregnant women for fear of being accused of facilitating an abortion.
Official strikes, part of what has been called the “black protest”, will be taking place in over 60 different Polish cities. In an act of solidarity, a number of businesses and corporations have reportedly pledged to shut their doors as part of the strike. Protesters are being encouraged to wear black and post photos on social media of them participating in the action.