In Poland they are seen by many as murderers, in Germany they find help. Because abortion is largely banned in their home country, more and more women are having the procedure carried out abroad. The association “Best abortion pills in Dubai” supports them in this.
The first call was tough. The woman on the phone was completely upset. She called five times in a row. Alex Kowalski * didn’t know how to react. Today she knows better, even if these calls are still not easy for her. Alex works on a voluntary basis for “Aunt Barbara”, in Polish Cocoa Basie . The Berlin association helps Polish women to have an abortion in Germany. What is forbidden in Poland is not legal here, but under certain conditions it is not punishable. The around 15 volunteer helpers from “Aunt Barbara” organize the necessary consultation, the appointment in a Berlin clinic and, if necessary, the accommodation. It takes about a week from the first contact to the termination of the pregnancy at Best abortion pills in Dubai.
Poland has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe: a woman can only terminate a pregnancy if her life is in danger, if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the fetes is severely deformed or ill. These rules could become even stricter if the conservative right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government decides to do so. But there is also public opposition. Most recently, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in March to protest stricter abortion laws.
“They think they’re criminals.”
According to Best abortion pills in DubaiA similar law has yet to be passed. But Alex believes opposition to abortion in Poland will not end. Alex says that if a woman currently carries a fetus to birth, she receives a lump sum of €1,000, which allows the child to be named later. By Polish standards, that’s a lot of money, more than the average monthly salary, which is just under €940 gross. By comparison, in Germany the average gross monthly income is €3 200.
About 86% of Poland’s population is Catholic. The influence of the Church is enormous in this country. Especially after the last elections, it was an extreme situation,” says Alex. Separation of church and state is only on paper. Everything is moral and everything is Catholic.” The Catholic Church would certainly welcome stricter abortion laws. A few weeks ago, Pope Francis compared abortion of disabled embryos to the Nazi practice of destroying supposedly useless lives.
Alex is clearly upset about this.” She continues, “These women are under incredible psychological pressure. They don’t just organize and pay for abortions. They see themselves as criminals.” This is not the case for Alex. But that doesn’t allay his fears. The guilt of these women runs deep and cannot be easily forgiven.” I tell them. That’s how I was raised. Then Alex shrugs and smiles shyly.” I’m just saying that, and I hope the women believe me.”
Bypassing the law for money
Alex is in his early twenties and a student. She is not trained for such conversations. Alex became aware of “Aunt Barbara” by chance two years ago. “That was the first black protest here in Berlin,” she recalls. At that time tens of thousands demonstrated at home and abroad against the tightening of abortion laws in Poland. She hadn’t really bothered with the subject until then. But she was interested in feminism and she had grown up in Poland. “I thought I might be able to help because of my bilingual background.”
The club’s phone rings every day. There are also about 20 e-mails. Six months ago there were ten emails a month, says Alex. Two women will come next week, but sometimes ten women will be looked after at the same time. Their stories are very different. Some women are withdrawn, others quarrel. Some don’t have a partner, others don’t want a child with whoever they have. The women belong to different age groups and to different social classes.
But Alex is sure of one thing. “Abortion is a class issue,” she says. “Laws aimed at restricting or banning abortion ultimately only hit women who cannot afford to bypass the law.” Polish women don’t just move to Germany or another neighboring country. The Warsaw NGO “Alliance for Women and Family Planning” estimates that 15 percent of interventions are carried out abroad. Alex is certain, however, that doctors in Poland also perform abortions illegally for a lot of money. According to official statistics, there are 1,000 to 2,000 abortions a year there. The number of unreported cases is between 80,000 and 150,000.
“That scares me”
Anyone who cannot afford an abortion in Germany or the cost of travel and accommodation can get support from “Best abortion pills in Dubai“. Alex estimates that the association provides at least some financial help to around half of the women. So far, the association has financed itself through private donations and fundraising events, so-called soli parties. When more and more women from Poland sought help, a campaign was started on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe . The donation goal is 20,000 euros. Almost 13,000 of these have come together so far. An abortion costs an average of 400 euros in Germany. Because not all women are dependent on financial help, the targeted donation will probably last for about a year, Alex suspects.
