Meeting with members of Polish parliament

In a last minute decision, abortion had been added to the agenda. Two proposals for a new abortion law were presented.

Wanda Nowicka, spokesperson for STER Committee, the group that invited Women on waves to sail to Poland, stated that a new law will only be acceptable if women themselves can decide freely about abortion. She called upon politicians to include women?s NGOs in the process of drafting a new abortion law.

Rebecca Gomperts, initiator of Women on Waves, stated that no special abortion law is needed. Abortion is a normal medical service that can be regulated by existing laws. In Canada this is already the case. This country just removed its anti abortion law from the penal code and did not replace it with another abortion law. Furthermore she urged the women?s committee to try to include medical health professionals in their committee.
She concluded her statement by calling upon president Miller to reply to the open letter that was sent to him by the STER committee. If the anti-abortion law does not change in the near future Women on waves will have to come back to Poland again.

The group of women?s NGO?s and politicians have asked the Polish ombudsman to investigate if questioning all passengers that have been sailing with the ship of Women on waves to international waters is not in fact a violation of their privacy and freedom of movement.

The meeting was ended by the formation of a body consisting of members of Parliament and members of women?s NGO?s who will work together on a draft to liberalise the anti-abortion law.
This group will hold its first meeting on July 11th.