Tens of thousands of people descended on Warsaw and other Polish cities to protest against government plans to withdraw from a pan-European convention tackling violence against women.
The Istanbul Convention is the most comprehensive legal framework that exists to tackle violence against women and girls, covering domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, so-called honour-based violence and forced marriage.
Poland ratified the convention back in 2015 before the ultra-conservative Law and Justice Party were in power.
The current Polish government argues that the convention, which was drawn up by the Council of Europe, a human rights organisation made up of 47 member states, contravenes Poland’s Roman Catholic family values.
Zbigniew Ziobro, the Minister of Justice, has said that the process of withdrawing from the treaty will start on Monday, 27th July. He argues that the convention violated the rights of parents and “contains elements of an ideological nature”.
Polish law does not sufficiently protect victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
Please consider supporting and/or donating to:
- Fundusz Przeciwprzemocowy Feminoteki - anti-violence fund that aims to protect victims of sexual assault.
- Stowarzyszenie Forgetmenot - organization that supports people who have experienced sexual violence.
- Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet - organization that actively fights for women’s rights
- Stop Bzdurom - an anarchist organization that actively fights for LGBT rights and legal abortion
- Aborcja Bez Granic - organization that supports people who need access to legal abortion.
- Fundacja Trans-Fuzja - organization that supports transgender people in Poland
