The Rollback of Women's Rights in Poland in the Context of Democratic Backsliding

Sammanfattning

The thesis explores the rollback of women’s rights in the context of democratic backsliding in Poland by answering the question: How are restrictions on women’s rights framed during democratic backsliding in Poland? In order to explore the topic, the 2020 ruling restricting abortion access is looked at, answering the sub-question: How was the near-total abortion ban in Poland framed and justified? Guided by norm-contestation theory, norm spoiling and Roggeband and Krizsán’s (2020) conceptualization of gender policy backsliding the dissertation carries out a qualitative content analysis. It is found that restrictions on women’s rights during democratic decline in Poland were portrayed as necessary protections of higher values, rather than attacks on gender equality. The framing of the restriction of abortion rights can be separated into three main themes. Legally, abortion was presented as inconsistent with the constitution, due to the fetus’s right to dignity and life. Morally and religiously, pregnancy termination was reconstructed into an act of ‘eugenic’ or ‘killing’, as well as a violation of Catholic principles. Societally, the ban was linked to defending Poland’s national identity and traditional values. These framings aided in making the restriction seem legitimate and even necessary, while advancing gender equality backsliding.