Women's rights protest held outside Polish leader's house

The home of the leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party became the scene of a protest on Monday as women's rights group opposed his recent remarks regarding the country's low birth rate.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski had blamed the low number of births on young women drinking too much alcohol.

The prominent rights movement Women's Strike gathered some 300 people outside Kaczynski's Warsaw home to protest the remarks and the general erosion of women's rights in Poland under the PiS government.

Underwhelming turnout

Those who showed up expressed some disappointment at the relatively low turnout. Previous protests have drawn much bigger crowds.

"I am terrified to see that we agree to all these policies, because so few people turned out today,'' one protester said. "I'm afraid that a majority of people have gotten used to the way the things are and they don't see any point anymore in protesting."

Organizers with Women's Strike said the group rejects the remarks that Kaczynski made earlier in the month.

The real reasons for the low birthrate are factors such as a lack of general sexual education, a de facto ban on abortion, a housing shortage, and a lack of childcare facilities, Women's Strike said.

Protest against declining women's rights

Poland's ultraconservative ruling party has butted heads with the EU over a series of issues including its treatment of women as well as the LGBTQ community.

PiS introduced legislation last year that placed an effective prohibition on abortion.

The government also ended state funding for in-vitro fertilization services.

Kaczynski, 73, said ahead of the protests outside his home that he could not understand why he was being targeted. He said he has "always been a supporter of full equality for women."

ab/ar (AP, ARD)