On the sixth anniversary of a strict abortion ban in Poland, demonstrators took to the streets in over 20 cities, urging for the legalization of abortion services. The protests come amid a backdrop of governmental promises for reform that have yet to materialize, revealing the deepening rift between political commitments and the reality faced by women seeking reproductive health care in a predominantly Catholic nation.
Thousands of people gathered in more than 20 towns and cities across Poland on the sixth anniversary of the near-total abortion ban imposed by the country’s highest court. Protesters voiced their demands for access to safe, legal abortion services, reflecting a growing frustration with restrictive reproductive policies.
In Poland, abortion is only legal under limited circumstances, such as pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or when a mother’s life or health is at risk. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, which came to power following the 2023 elections, had promised to liberalize abortion laws. However, internal divisions within the coalition have hindered significant progress.
These recent demonstrations followed parliamentary discussions in which two bills aimed at easing abortion restrictions were proposed. Nonetheless, these bills are expected to face a veto from Poland’s conservative President Karol Nawrocki. Activists have criticized this legislative move as mere “token gestures,” rather than genuine efforts to amend abortion laws, as articulated by Zofia Marcinek of the Abortion Dream Team, a reproductive rights organization based in Warsaw. She emphasized that the liberal government is aware that the draft laws will not survive a presidential veto, suggesting that the government is merely attempting to cultivate support from women voters in anticipation of the upcoming elections.
In the capital, Warsaw, around 1,000 protesters demonstrated outside the parliament, undeterred by rainy weather. Emilia Niemiec, who oversees the AboTak abortion center, shared her perspective, noting, “Over the last six years, nothing has really changed.”
Poland’s restrictive abortion laws have been entrenched since 1993, with persistent advocacy for legalization led by Polish women. Following the tightening of laws under the national-conservative Law and Justice party in 2020—which banned abortions of fetuses with congenital defects—women have continued to seek abortions, often outside of the country’s medical facilities. A report indicates that Polish hospitals carried out 573 abortions in the first half of 2026, a significant increase from 452 in all of 2022, yet activists assert that tens of thousands more are conducted in secrecy.
Protest organizers have accused the Tusk government of betraying Polish women, arguing that claims of improved access to abortion care only complicate the situation further. Marcinek noted that the government’s assertions mislead those seeking assistance, contributing to delays in necessary medical care. “The government’s promises act as a type of disinformation,” she stated. “Women getting pregnant hear the prime minister say that everything is OK and find out that is not the case.”
As demonstrations continue, the urgent demand for reproductive justice in Poland remains palpable, showcasing the ongoing struggle between personal rights and political actions within the country.
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