New Bill Could Target Sex Educators in Poland

Women’s groups in Warsaw organized protests of a new bill criminalizing sex education in Poland. (RTE)

A bill criminalizing the “promotion of underage sexual activity” cleared an initial vote in Poland’s parliament on October 16. The bill, which supporters call the “Stop Pedophilia law,” proposes fines and possible prison time for those determined to have promoted pedophilia or underage sexual intercourse. 

Support for the bill comes from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) , with members arguing that it will protect children and young people from depravity. However, opponents claim that its true intent is “intimidating and silencing educators and activists.” 

Women’s groups organized protests outside of Warsaw’s parliamentary building as well as in several other Polish cities. Hundreds assembled on the day of the vote, displaying signs reading “Education protects against violence” and “Banning sex education is rape.” 

Since it took control of parliament in 2015, the PiS, known as an advocate for traditional family values, has appealed to its largely Catholic base in part by targeting women’s rights activists and the LGBT+ community⁠ as both groups have an important stake in Poland’s battle over sex education.

Poland’s current sex education program, entitled “Preparation for Family Life,” has been condemned by international organizations for its limited scope and omission of non-heterosexual sexuality. The nonprofit organization Human Rights Watch claims that the program “spreads misinformation, perpetuates harmful stereotypes about gender roles and sexuality, and promotes an anti-choice and anti-LGBT agenda.”

Last February, the mayor of Warsaw issued a plan to offer comprehensive sex education and anti-discrimination courses to students in the Polish capital, citing bullying of LGBT+ students by peers and teachers. However, due to swift backlash from Catholic groups and PiS members, the city did not provide funding for the additional classes. 

The new bill could send Poland’s sex education program in the opposite direction. The proposed terms include a sentence for those who promote underage sexual intercourse of up to two years, or three if the perpetrator employs some form of mass media. Currently, PiS is advocating for the penalty to be increased to five years. 

Anna Blus, a researcher for Amnesty International, described the bill as “extremely vague and broad.” Its ambiguous scope has led to competing interpretations, with PiS lawmaker Marcin Ociepa dismissing concerns about potential imprisonment of educators as an “overinterpretation of the bill.” However, critics worry that once passed, the bill could be used to target doctors who prescribe birth control, school psychologists, and even publishers of educational materials.

Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, an opposition lawmaker, pointed to the bill as part of an attempt to exacerbate tensions between traditionalists and social liberals: “[PiS] are trying to impose a narrative that we are in a culture and civilization war.”

Although Poland’s recent elections left PiS in power over the Sejm, it ceded the less-powerful Senate to the opposition, leading some experts to doubt the party’s continued hold of Poland’s government. Notably, the ultra-nationalist Confederacy managed to gain 11 seats in parliament, signifying that threats to PiS will no longer be confined to the left and center. Analysts have suggested that the new bill represents an effort by PiS to appeal to the extreme right wing by aligning more closely with the Catholic church. 

Now that it has passed the initial vote, the bill will move on to a commission for additional work before parliament makes its final determination.