Polish lawmakers have voted to offer a payment for families who give birth to a disabled child, in order to deter them from seeking an abortion.
The ‘For Life’ plan intends to give 4000 zlotys, or about $1300 AUD, as a one-off payment if a child is a born disabled or with a life-threatening disease.
The news comes soon after the conservative Polish government, which is highly influenced by the Catholic church, moved to ban abortions altogether in Poland.
RELATED: Polish Women Protest Proposed Abortion Ban
Thousands of women flooded the streets of Warsaw wearing black and carrying umbrellas to protest the proposed law. This resulted in the government backing down on the proposed law.
According to ABC News, although government figures show that about 1000 abortions occurred last year, experts say that close to 150,000 abortions were performed illegally and secretly.
RELATED: Polish MPs Back Down On Proposed Abortion Law
Many legal abortions performed in Poland are performed after discovering that the baby is suffering from Down Syndrome or other genetic conditions. However under many circumstances, doctors refuse to perform abortions.
The parliament voted 267-140 in favour of the plan.
