Annotation:
This article concerns the emergence of
retrogressive laws and policies concerning
access to abortion in many Central and
Eastern European countries. While many of
these countries were among the first to
legalize abortion and to make it available
in a wide variety of circumstances, there
has been a surge in restrictive
legislation across Central and Eastern
Europe. Such legislation often imposes
mandatory waiting periods and biased
counselling and information requirements
on people seeking abortions. The article
discusses the deleterious effects of such
policies on women and references many
international organizations and
authorities which have decried those
practices. The human rights implicated in
these practices are explored. The article
also examines the impacts of these
measures on womens physical and mental
health, and how they contribute to the
perpetuation of stereotypes of and
discrimination against women are
considered.