European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 3 October 2016, thousands of women, among them many women teachers, came to the streets in Poland dressed in black in a nationwide “Black Monday” strike to protest against a new legislative proposal foreseeing to ban abortion and limit human and women rights in Poland. The penalties stipulated in the law proposal impose a five-year prison sentence on women who abort.

The Polish Teacher Union Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego (ZNP), one of EI/ETUCE’s member organisations in Poland, has for many years demanded the introduction of modern sex education in Polish schools.

EI/ETUCE express their strong support with ZNP and its members, as well as with the students and parents who participated in the protest. EI/ETUCE stand together with all those who were not afraid to raise their voice and actively engaged themselves in the protest action for their contribution which they make to defend human and women rights and equality. As stated in the EU Strategic Engagement on Equality between Women and Men “The EU remains fully committed to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and to the full and effective implementation of obligations and commitments to women’s rights [...]”.

Abolishing abortion would seriously breach women’s human rights, thereby undermining and violating the principles of non-discrimination and equality.

The Polish Government should support the pillars of modern European society and together with other stakeholders in education, promote the introduction of sex education as a tool for developing a diverse, equal and open-minded generation that enjoys the right to think critically, and to take decisions freely.

Please visit ZNP website to find out more.