Women’s Rights Takes Precedence as Key Issue in Polish Politics, According to Opposition Leader Tusk

Donald Tusk, the leader of Poland’s largest opposition party, Civic Platform (PO), has declared women’s rights as the number one issue in Poland. Speaking at a women’s group meeting in Pszczyna, where a pregnant woman died in 2021 after being denied an abortion, Tusk pledged to remove Poland’s near-total ban on abortion, address the gender pay gap, and ensure gender parity among candidates for his party in the upcoming elections.

Abortion Ban and Women’s Rights

In 2020, Poland’s constitutional court ruled that abortions due to fetal abnormalities were unconstitutional, leading to the country’s near-total ban on abortion. This has been met with widespread protests, with Tusk being one of many who blame the ban for the death of Izabela, a woman who died after being denied an abortion in Pszczyna.

Tusk has vowed to find legal ways to annul the constitutional court ruling and ensure that decisions on terminating pregnancies are made solely by “the woman and the doctor.” He has also promised that his party will introduce executive decisions to liberalize abortion procedures without waiting for legislative changes, should President Andrzej Duda veto attempts to soften the law.

Gender Parity and the Pay Gap

Tusk has also promised to address gender parity in his party’s electoral lists, with the top ten candidates alternating between men and women. He has pledged to close the gender pay gap, stating that women should not receive less pay than men for doing the same job. He proposes introducing rules that require greater pay transparency, similar to those in France and Spain, and auditing the gender pay gap in public institutions and state-owned firms.

Fundamental Rights

Tusk believes that access to IVF, contraception, abortion up to 12 weeks, and sex education in schools are fundamental rights. He argues that women’s rights are not just about rights but also about health and, in extreme cases, life. He has called for Poland to emerge from the darkness of the Middle Ages and for women’s rights to be protected against violence, literal or legal, systemic, and committed by those who believe that they can take away women’s rights.

Donald Tusk’s speech highlights the importance of women’s rights in Poland, with a particular focus on the country’s near-total ban on abortion, gender parity, and the pay gap. His pledges aim to ensure that women have the right to make decisions about their bodies, receive equal pay for their work, and have access to fundamental rights.