The Polish government is "targeting" women's rights activists, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday.
According to the report, women's rights groups have faced drastic cuts in funding often without any explanation for the withdrawal of funding.
Among the organisations affected by the cuts have impacted on safe houses for women fleeing domestic abuse situations.
Founder of the Centre for Women's Rights, Urszula Nowakowska, said a reduction in funding from Poland's justice ministry has lead to the shutdown of branches of their safe houses across the country.
Nowakowska said by withdrawing support for organisations supporting domestic abuse victims or empowering women to manage their lives independently, the government was undermining its own stated commitment to traditional family values.
Governing eurosceptic party Law and Justice (PiS) stresses family values and seeks to raise the population of 38 million, and has introduced a number welfare programmes for women with two or more children.
HRW's report also draws attention to the PiS government's ongoing attempts to tighten Poland's already restrictive abortion legislation since coming to power in 2015.
A proposal in 2018, which would have removed exemptions for abortions in the case of irreversible damage to the foetus, led to a series of mass protests across the country which halted the bill in its tracks.
HRW's report also accuses the government of having raided premises where women's rights activists work and threatened the jobs of government employees linked to rights groups.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters