WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A member of Poland's conservative government says mass protests by women against a total abortion ban have been a lesson in "humility" for the country's leadership and that "there will not be a total abortion ban."

Jaroslaw Gowin, the minister of science and higher education, said the protests by women have "caused us to think and taught us humility."

Meanwhile, the Senate speaker also said the upper house of parliament would not initiate any work on a bill that would further restrict Poland's abortion law, already one of the most restrictive in Europe.

The comments appear to show that Poland's conservative leadership will withhold support from the highly unpopular proposal to ban abortions, even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk.