Description
Under the project, we plan to monitor the legal regulations and their enforcement as well as the activities of relevant institutions in the field of selected aspects of women's reproductive health, and perform advocacy action. Selected regulations and mechanisms (e.g. medical conscience clause, objection to medical opinion, healthcare standards), and law enforcement institutions (such as medical professional judiciary, Patient Rights Advocate, common courts) will be controlled in order to diagnose and verify existing problems, improve performance of the relevant institutions and availability of their services. As a result, we will obtain a comprehensive picture of bad and good practices in this field, forming a basis for advocacy action directed to different actors in order to improve the situation in law enforcement and the access of women to reproductive healthcare.
Summary of project results
"The information gathered by the Federation show that the scale of violating the rights of women patients in the healthcare system is high. Particular problems are encountered by women who are entitled by law to abortion. The project ""Control of the rights of women in the field of healthcare"" focused on the institutional system of protection of patients' rights and the situation of women patients experiencing violations of their rights in the field of reproductive healthcare. The aim of the project was to diagnose the functioning of the institutions active in the field of women healthcare and to examine the possibilities for asserting their rights by women patients. In particular, the project focused on the availability of legally permitted abortions and defining problems in accessibility to the services. The project enhanced competencies of women lawyers participating in its implementation. Exchange of letters and discussions with public institutions improved the knowledge of the institutions on the access to public information. Broad knowledge was gathered on availability of reproductive healthcare services for women - in particular signs were found of the lack of confidence in the system and low level of complaints, and barriers were highlighted posed for women by the healthcare system itself. Recommendations and a publication were prepared, for the first time in Poland, on barriers posed by hospitals to women who want to perform legally permitted abortions. Legal analyses were performed on the institutional system for protecting interests of individuals whose rights were violated. Monitoring was led based on the access to public information in three areas: institutions for patient rights protection, courts of law and hospitals. Each of the monitorings was led in several cycles, and the information gathered were analysed on the ongoing basis. The report-publication was developed containing results of the survey on procedures used in hospitals in situations when a women patient wanted to perform abortion. The project benefited women lawyers from the team and volunteers. The results benefited the general public and persons for whom the knowledge from monitoring can be useful in their professional activity."
Summary of bilateral results