Ograniczenie praw reprodukcyjnych oraz świadomość prawna kobiet
Restriction of Reproductive Rights and Legal Awareness of Women

Author(s): Grażyna Skąpska
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Sociology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: social safety; abortion compromise; inhuman treatment; reproductive rights; prudent decision
Summary/Abstract: Stereotypes which paint women as being incapable of making a considered moral decision on matters relating to reproductive rights lie at the root of the failure (until 2020) to respect the so-called “abortion compromise” in Poland. As the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights indicate, this compromise has been violated in relation to each of the circumstances that permitted termination of pregnancy. In these rulings, the ECHR stressed that the applicants were subjected to degrading and inhumane treatment by doctors and the judiciary. Despite this, votes of women ensured that the parliamentary elections were won by the Law and Justice party, and thanks to the surplus of women’s votes, the incumbent president was re-elected to office. This dissonance can be hypothetically explained by referring to the results of a nationwide survey conducted in 2020 (before the infamous ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal of 22nd October 2020). According to the results, women attach more importance than men to rights concerning access to social services and benefits; what’s more, this sphere seems to have greater significance for women than the breach of the abortion compromise mentioned above.

• Details
• Contents