Poland's abortion laws were already restrictive, even before the latest rule change. But Poland's move to strip away reproductive rights is one of a series of blows to abortion rights in western countries -- including the United States and Slovakia -- in recent weeks. In many cases, attempts to roll back abortion rights are being made where there have also been rollbacks on democracy, civil society and human rights. "A lot of countries in Europe are promoting women's roles as procreators and as wives and mothers," Hillary Margolis, senior researcher in women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, told CNN. But activists say abortion laws still need updating in many countries to remove barriers.

Source: CNN November 01, 2020 09:00 UTC