Polish activists face opposition as they make abortion more accessible
Abortion laws in Poland are very restrictive. Activists there have found a new way to help women wanting to terminate a pregnancy: the "Abortomat," a locker that dispenses abortion pills. But they face fierce opposition.
Women's rights activists in Poland have established what they claim to be the world's first delivery locker providing abortion pills, situated in a country with some of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws. Dubbed the "Abortomat," this locker is located in a building adjacent to the Polish parliament, symbolically sending a message to politicians like Donald Tusk.
Poland's Prime Minister had pledged to introduce abortion on demand up to twelve weeks of pregnancy prior to the 2023 parliamentary elections; however, his coalition has struggled to reach a consensus on a unified position. Only two European Union member states, Poland and Malta, do not permit abortion on request. In Poland, abortion is only permitted when the pregnancy results from a crime—such as rape or incest—or when it threatens the woman's health or life.
Justyna Wydrzynska, an activist from the nonprofit organization "Abortion Dream Team," briefed Deutsche Welle (DW) on the operation of the "Abortomat," housed in a modest room behind a decorative curtain at Abotak, Poland's first abortion center. The locker features 22 pink compartments, each equipped with a PIN code provided by Women Help Women following a medical questionnaire.
This questionnaire is subsequently reviewed by a doctor. While abortion in Poland is not criminalized for women, those who assist them in terminating pregnancies face up to three years in prison. In 2023, Wydrzynska was the first activist convicted in Poland for aiding a woman in obtaining an abortion through pill delivery, though her conviction was later overturned and a retrial ordered.
Each compartment at the "Abortomat" typically contains a package with two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol, often taken within the 14th week of pregnancy. As mifepristone is not registered in Poland, it must be ordered from abroad, where it is legally available. Organizations like Abortion Dream Team and Abotak assist women in locating information for acquiring medication, which is either sent from abroad by Women Help Women or enabled through travel abroad for a termination.
Wydrzynska claims the "Abortomat" does not violate the law since it is a machine, not an individual, delivering the pills. However, she admits her uncertainty on this matter.
Dr. Sabrina Mana-Walasek, a reproductive rights lawyer representing Wydrzynska, stated that the legal landscape for abortion pills is "complicated." Despite mifepristone not being registered in Poland, it is registered within the European Union, and thus, Polish women can legally order and take it if they pay for it themselves. However, the ultra-Catholic legal group Ordo Iuris has alerted the prosecutor's office, asserting that the activists are committing a crime.
According to Katarzyna Gesiak, director of the Ordo Iuris Center for Medical Law and Bioethics, the actions enabling a woman to have an abortion, theoretically performed by the woman herself using the device, involve people—sending the required PIN code, ordering and procuring the pills, and restocking the compartments. Anti-abortion activists frequently demonstrate outside Abotak, using horns and loudspeakers to create noise and attempt to pressure the landlord into terminating their rental agreement.
One demonstration included a woman holding an image of the Virgin Mary, asserting that abortion is "the work of Satan" and "evil, demonic, and against the fifth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not kill.'"
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
