Supplemental Information on Poland for the Review by the Committee against Torture

Federation for Women and Family Planning, Women Enabled International, Magdalena Szarota (Lancaster University and Association of Disabled Women. ONE.pl) and independent researchers Agnieszka Król and Agnieszka Wołowicz respectfully present this submission to the Committee against Torture due to its review of Poland’s compliance with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Committee in its last concluding observations expressed concerns about restrictions in Poland on access to abortion, especially for victims of rape, due to the refusal of some physicians and clinics to perform legal operations on the basis of conscientious objection. The Committee noticed that these restrictions lead women to resort to clandestine, often unsafe abortions with all the health risks they entail. The Committee recommended that the State party should ensure that women, especially victims of rape, who voluntarily decide to terminate their pregnancy have access to safe, legal abortions. In accordance with the 2012 World Health Organization technical and policy guidance on safe abortion, the State party should ensure that the exercise of conscientious objection does not prevent individuals from accessing services to which they are legally entitled. The State party should also implement a legal and/or policy framework that enables women to access abortion where the medical procedure is permitted under the law (para. 23).

In the list of issues, the Committee asked Poland to provide information about measures taken to ensure that women, especially victims of rape, who voluntarily decide to terminate their pregnancy have access to safe, legal abortions (para. 28)

This Supplemental Information is aimed at proving that no above mentioned measures have been taken or introduced by Polish authorities in order to ensure women effective access to abortion when they want and need such a medical procedure. The submission also shows that, at the same time, women with disabilities in Poland experience forced or coerced sterilization.