Amanda Coakley, The Independent
Dec 2, 20211 min
Left: Activist leader Marta Lempart (left) and lawmaker Monika Falej (centre) protest against the tightening of the abortion law (EPA-EFE)
Center: Women hold signs saying “Don’t ask for my blood, Poland” in Warsaw (AP)
Right: People take part in the ‘Women’s Strike’ protest in Warsaw in March (EPA-EFE)
Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, or PiS, believes it is on a mission to save the soul of the central European nation.
Sparked by the country’s dwindling population and fuelled by far-right nationalism, Poland’s leaders believe only a return to so-called “traditional family values” will cure their various ills.
One of their first attempts to boost the birth rate was the Family 500+ programme, launched in 2016, which gives families 500 Polish zloty (£90) a month for every child under the age of 18. Despite some early success, the initiative hasn’t yielded the baby boom the government was expecting.
(c) 2021, The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/world/poland-population-women-reproductive-rights-b1968601.html