ANKARA - There is a message from Poland for November 25, the symbol of the struggle of women for the right to abortion, "Sisterhood is a source of pride for us all. Every women will liberate themselves and each other as a result of this long term struggle."

 

While violence against women has reached alarming levels across Europe, the rising women's struggle has become the name of the rebellion against violence and inequality on an intercontinental scale. Undoubtedly, one of the most important struggles of women is against the policies of domination over women's bodies. Poland, where the Catholic Church is trying to intervene directly in politics, is one of the countries where women stand out with their resistance against this authority.

 

The struggle of women against the abortion ban, which came into effect in January, continues in the country. While women who could not have an abortion in Poland supported each other with the solidarity networks they established between countries, they took to the streets again after a woman died due to the abortion ban. In Poland, women's groups estimate that the number of abortions performed in secret or abroad could average between 80,000 and 120,000 per year.

 

İSTANBUL CONVENTION IS TARGETED

 

One of the reasons pushing women in Poland to struggle is the Istanbul Convention. Although Poland is a signatory to the convention, withdrawal from the convention is also on the agenda recently, especially after Turkey withdrew from the convention over night. The situation in the country, where conservative circles have been pressing for a long time to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, while the women activists continue their struggle, bears a serious resemblance to Turkey. Not only the governments, but also the struggles of women of Poland and Turkey are women are similar. According to the Country's Center for Women's Rights (CPK), a woman is subjected to violence every 40 seconds in the country. Approximately 800,000 women aged between 16 and 60 are exposed to violence each year. Noting that nearly 500 women die every year as a result of domestic violence, the Center stated that violence against women is not a coincidence. Stating that 70 percent of the cases of violence against women reported to the judicial authorities result with non-prosecution, CPK drew attention to the fact that the sentences of 80 percent of the defendants who were convicted in cases that could be the subject of the lawsuit were postponed.

 

We spoke to Aleksandra Sobczak, Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper Wyborcza, published in Poland, about the problems faced by women in the country and their struggle in an era where women are creating networks of intercontinental solidarity.

 

THE MOST BASIC FORM OF VIOLENCE

 

Stating that the issue of abortion law in Poland has been a problem for a long time, Sobczak said, “We cannot say that it has just started, abortion rights is an issue since communism fell in Poland. Nobody asked women for their opinion, but the conservative government decided to ban abortion in general in the '90s. They only allowed flexibility in pregnancy as a result of rape and if the child would be born disabled or very sick. The current authoritarian government, on the other hand, has eliminated even these options and enacted laws to force women to have these babies even if it is known that the baby will be very sick or disabled if born, or even if it is known that the baby will be stillborn. Knowing this, women were compelled by law to wait for the end of pregnancy and, consequently, childbirth. This must be the most basic form of violence against women."

 

Reminding that a serious opposition has developed against this and hundreds of thousands of women have taken to the streets, Sobczak said that the protests of women continue. Pointing out that the protests were not only carried out in big cities and metropols, Sobczak said, “Surprising us all, the protests spread to the smallest villages of Poland. Even women who had never been to a sinle demonstration in their lives were on the streets."

 

IT WAS ALWAYS AN ISSUE FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

Pointing out that abortion was legal during the communism rule, Sobczak said, “This was already one of the biggest problems of the Catholic Church with communism.The first thing they wanted to change after communism fell was the abortion rights and they did. Communism was also an extremely authoritarian system, which caused the death of many people, therefore I do not want to praise it, but I have to say that we were in a better place in terms of freedom free choice. Forcing a women to continue with the pregnancy even though she doesn't want to, is the most brutal way of violence."

 

TWO DIFFERENT DEMANDS

 

Underlining that there are two different demands of women who took to the streets, Sobczak clarified this as follows: “It is difficult to say anything in general, but we can say that there are two groups. One of these groups demanded the implementation of the laws applied in Europe. In other words, they demanded legal abortion and free choice. Others wanted the previous laws to be implemented. In other words, termination of pregnancy as a result of rape and termination of pregnancy in case the baby has very serious health issues. But those who demanded free choice were in the majority. In the current situation, if you don't want to continue the pregnancy, you have to go to countries like Germany, Czechia, Slovakia. There are also abortion pills available on the black market.”

 

ETHICS OF FAITH, NOT MEDICINE 

 

Underlining that under legal abortion conditions, the doctor can sometimes refuse to prescribe abortion pills and even pharmacists refuse to give the pills to the women due to his own "ethical" understanding, Sobczak said, "This is a very serious problem. Although it is not legal for them to do this, it is something that happens often. Although doctors and pharmacists do not have such a right, they may refuse to help women because of their ethical feelings and religious beliefs. In other words, women often go to the doctor, pay the visit fee, are examined, and as a result, they cannot take the abortion pill. All this depends on the doctor's religious belief."

 

Stating that women have the right to file a criminal complaint in such a situation, Sobczak pointed out that there was not much positive response from the applications made to the relevant authorities.

 

WOMEN TAKEN TO STREETS SCARED THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCH

 

Stating that the government has put the abortion ban on its agenda twice before, Sobczak said, “The first was before the pandemic. The number of women taking to the streets was unbelievable. They did not expect such a reaction. So they suspended the law and waited for the moment when the most strict measures against the pandemic were taken to enact the law. We were in a state of total lock down. Gathering on the street was strictly prohibited. Even the schools were closed. Everyone was working from home to stop the spread of the virus. It was the middle of winter and winters in Poland are very cold. It was at this time that they took action to enact the ban on abortion because they thought it would not endanger people's health. At the same time, even the slightest gathering on the street was against the law. This is how the abortion ban was enacted. In other words, we can say that they were afraid of street protests, but they were not afraid enough to cause these actions in the middle of the pandemic."

 

SIMILARITY WITH TURKEY

 

Pointing out that the Polish government is definitely inspired by Turkey on issues like democracy, women's rights, human rights, and LGBTI+ rights, Sobczak said, "In this sense, these two countries are very similar to each other. Of course, Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention makes one think that Poland will do the same. On the other hand, unfortunately, withdrawing from the convention will not change much in Poland, because although Poland was a signatory to the convention, it was not implemented. The Polish government has already stopped providing financial assistance to organizations that combat violence against women."

 

Stating that in Article 197 of the Polish Criminal Law, rape is defined as "exposing another person to sexual intercourse by force, unlawful threat or deception", Sobczak pointed out that the current government does not want to change this definition and punishment. “This definition doesn't work,” Sobczak said. Any sexual intervention that is not based on consent must be included in the definition of rape. Most rapists convicted of this crime not only receive light or suspended sentences, but this article also places the burden of proof on the victim and requires them to prove that they have resisted enough. The contract, on the other hand, foresees changing this definition.”

 

ISTANBUL CONVENTION PHOBIA

 

Sobczak mentioned the church's role in the discussions on withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention: "This means that women who suffer domestic violence should not seek outside help. Because, according to the church, the family is sacred and problems should be solved inside the family. In this sense, if the woman who is exposed to domestic violence turns to outside of the house to get help, according to this church, it damages the marriage bond, which is true. Because the victim of violence is more likely to want a divorce, and of course it should be. So this contract protects women, not the Catholic Church, and it's extremely bad for the church."

 

Recent reports revealed that more than 300 boys and girls were sexually abused and raped by 292 religious officials in the same Catholic Church between 1958 and 2020.

 

GLOBAL SISTERHOOD 

 

Stating that nothing much will change for women in the country in case of withdrawal since the contract is not implemented, Sobczak said, “This contract is a rock on which women can lean, even if it is symbolic. For this reason, women will be vigilant and will fight against the possibility of withdrawal from the contract. But as I said, the contract is not implemented in practice anyway.”

 

Evaluating the solidarity network that has developed in the 21st century as a "wonderful" situation for the women's movement, Sobczak said, “The solidarity of women, empowers women. On the other hand, it is difficult to say that we have won as women in Poland. Because abortion is still illegal. But the solidarity and sisterhood created by Polish women is a source of pride for all of us. Women's organizations help women in need of abortion by taking them to different countries. While they're doing a fantastic job in that sense, there's a problem. The state of health of many women who need abortion actually requires being treated in a hospital. Hospitals do not treat women who have had complications during pregnancy, who have bleeding or in pain, unless the pregnancy was the result of rape. In this sense, although the women's organizations that take these women abroad and have them treated are doing a great job, during an administration that is so hostile to women, we need to lift this ban. But I want to underline my admiration for these organizations again."  

 

VIOLENCE AT HOME SPREADED TO THE STREETS

 

As a journalist, Sobczak, who is a witness of the state's practices against women, evaluated the existing picture as follows: “I can say that we have seen the very clear effect of the authoritarian government that is currently ruling the country. For many years in Poland, the demonstrations on March 8 have been strongly celebrated. The police wouldn't cause any trouble. Female police officers were sent to the demonstrations on days like March 8, and they almost acted in a way that made us think we had a common purpose. However, this situation has been changed in the recent women's protests. Massive male policemen began to sent to the demonstrations. They began to physically attack peaceful demonstrations. They used all their inventory to attack the women. It would be strange to say this, but there is a tradition in Poland due to the Catholic Church; “Violence against women stays at home.” Any act of violence against any woman on the street is condemned and blamed by society. This is a taboo. This government has made this taboo even worse. Violence against women now exists both at home and on the street. Both by the hand of men and the state."

 

A CHANGE OF SYSTEM IS A MUST

 

Stating that women who are exposed to domestic violence rarely file criminal complaints, Sobczak stated that the police's approach to these women is nor serious. Stating that there is an attitude that blames women who are exposed to violence in general, Sobczak said, “As I said, the burden of proof is on women. Going to the police has no result, these women have to go back to that house with those men. This causes more violence. The entire system is already dragging it into a spiral of violence. In conservative societies like Poland, women's poverty is at very serious levels. In other words, it's okay for the abused woman to file a criminal complaint against her husband, but the woman has no income. Man is the one providing for most of the families. Therefore, as of now, women do not see any benefit in complaining about domestic violence unless we radically change the system."

 

SOLIDARITY WILL LIBERATE WOMEN 

 

Sobczak gave the following message on the occasion of November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: “I believe that everything will get better. I believe women are empowered. But this is a long-term movement. We have to keep fighting. We need to keep helping each other. We need to encourage each other. We cannot tolerate violence. We need to understand and explain that this is not our fault. We need to understand and explain that we are not the one who should be ashamed. If we can help a woman, we should. No woman should  turn their backs on each other. I know that at the end of this long-term process, each woman will liberate themselves and each other.”

 

TOMORROW: The power of change in Iran

 

 

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