#SolidarityWithPolishWomen: Transnational Abortion Activism in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea Region


Field: Sociology, Gender Studies, European Studies
Project leader: Katarzyna Wojnicka
Starting year: 2024
Project type: Project
Total funding: SEK 4,773,000

The goal of the project is to investigate the character and dynamics of transnational abortion activism, a phenomenon that can be identified in contemporary Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea Region. Transnational abortion mobilisation in the region has not yet been investigated, despite its theoretical and social significance, given the recent limitations of civil rights and health assistance for Polish women. Hence, the proposed research is the first study where this type of mobilisation is analysed from national, comparative, and transnational perspectives. The research will be conducted in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, and Sweden and will be supplemented by netnography and an investigation of the nature of global transnational abortion networks. The project utilizes a qualitative mixed-methods approach as individual interviews, observations (incl. shadowing) and netnography will be conducted. The theoretical framework consists of theories and concepts developed within gender studies and social movements studies, and the investigation is framed by an intersectional approach. The ambition is to contribute to the theoretical debates on transnational social movements. The results of the project will be published in scientific papers, an edited monograph, during scientific events and in the media. The project has clear societal relevance, providing knowledge on an under-researched social phenomenon, relevant to increasing the level of gender equality in the region.