A group of pro-abortion organizations earlier this week announced a joint effort to assist women in Poland circumvent the central European country's strict pro-life laws.

Thompson Reuters Foundation reports that "Abortion Without Borders" — which was announced on Wednesday by six abortion advocacy groups from multiple countries — aims to provide Polish women with information about how to obtain abortion pills online and refer women to abortion providers outside of the country.

"Abortion Without Borders believes that getting an abortion shouldn't depend on where someone is born and what passport they carry," the groups said in a statement. "Until everyone who needs an abortion can get one locally, we will be here."



In addition to providing information and referrals, the initiative also plans give financial aid to women who can't afford the process.

"We are going to emphasize that it doesn't really matter how much money you have and how far in your pregnancy you are, even if you don't have money and are past the 12th week," Karolina Więckiewicz of Abortion Dream Team — which is part of the effort — said in a story at The Guardian. "'I cannot fund an abortion' cannot be a reason for someone to become a parent."

Poland has some of the most strongest restrictions against abortion in Europe. Under Polish law, abortion is only permitted in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, or where the life of the mother is in danger. In fact, the countries sees only about 1,000 legal abortions per year.



This isn't the first international effort to help women circumvent Poland's abortion laws. A Berlin-based group called Ciocia Basia — or "Aunt Basia" in Polish — has already been helping Polish women abort their children in Germany.

"Having to get this procedure abroad is stressful, so we're there to comfort them and help make sure everything is organized so they don't have to do anything other than to come here and have the procedure," a volunteer for the group told The Independent in September.

The Polish government's pro-life stance extends outside its own borders as well. Last month, Poland was one of a handful of countries that joined with the United States in a statement criticizing a United Nations summit for its focus on reproductive matters. "There is no international right to abortion; in fact, international law clearly states that '[e]veryone has the right to life,'" the joint statement read.

