(CNN) The Polish parliament debated a controversial bill on Wednesday aimed at heavily limiting access to abortion.

The bill calls to strike fetal impairment from the slim list of legal reasons for abortion in the country. Polish law currently only allows abortion in cases of rape, danger to the mother's health or life, or severe damage to the fetus.

As the abortion bill was being introduced, Kaja Godek, a prominent anti-abortion figure in Poland and head of the Life and Family Foundation described it as a form of protection for disabled children. She had spearheaded a similar bill in 2018, but was met with nationwide protests.

Rights activists accused lawmakers of trying to take advantage of the coronavirus lockdown to try to the pass highly controversial legislation.

"They thought we wouldn't protest at all. I think they thought we would be afraid of the economic persecution," said Marta Lempart, founder and coordinator of the grassroots movement promoting women's rights, "Women's Strike," told CNN, referring to fines designed to enforce social distancing.

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