Black protest, Warsaw 2016Source: Wikimedia Commons
"The Polish government cares about and supports women's wellness and safety", the slogan begins the government's "Poland – a unique European" spot. Irony, cynicism, or possibly gigantic naivety – what led the creators of specified a video, while since 2020 women gotta go out on the streets and protest?
Recently, the latest government place saw the light. Its title is "Poland – a unique European woman". And look who's talking, you might ask. A government that over the last 2 terms has constantly humiliated women, taking distant their another basic rights? As a woman, Polish and European, I feel profoundly moved by the recently created place in which Prime Minister Morawiecki performs on phase in the surroundings of the agrarian housewives circle. And what precisely is the government's praise in a small over a minute's video? How is he trying to convince him that he cares about women?
Homes inactive the same
One of the first actions of the Polish government mentioned in the spot, for which all Polish women should thank him, is the expected ease of returning to professional activity after the birth of the child. However, from a survey carried out by the “Parent in the City” Foundation under the “Working and Raising” project, nearly 50% of children's mothers until their 3rd year of age do not return to work due to deficiency of access to care. At the same time, 94.4% of non-employed mothers would like to return to the labour market. The investigation conducted in 2020 by the liable Business Forum shows that 57% of women play a central function in childcare. In addition, CBOS data shows that women inactive execute a crucial majority of regular household chores – 82% usually do laundry, 65% cooking, 61% cleaning. It makes even if mothers want to get back to work after giving birth, they frequently collide with the wall. The public nursery lacks places, private opportunities for many families are besides high, and most men do not want to stay home, even after 9 weeks of leave exclusively for fathers.
Women are expected to become mothers, but they are not even supported in basic matters like breastfeeding.
– There are no systemic solutions to support feeding. Poland has signed a convention to ban the marketing of artificial mixtures, but in hospitals mothers get modified milk for free – says Małgorzata, a lactating counselor, a parent of 3 children and adds:
– These women who decide to feed are frequently stigmatized by society. Feeding in a restaurant or park is poorly seen, and mothers are sent to specially prepared seats in public toilets.
Passive doctors and victims of law
Another reason for pride and gratitude is the availability of prevention programs 40 Plus. It's just a shame it's not so easy and safe in all case. Theoretically, abortion is allowed even in the event of a threat to the life or wellness of the parent from the Constitutional Court of 2020. Unfortunately, reality is different. Isabella of Pszczyna and Dorota of Nowy Targ died of sepsis due to the fact that doctors took a waiting attitude. It was close, and it would not have survived Anna, who interrupted her pregnancy in the home way of our grandmothers. She utilized Foley's catheter, and the infirmary reported with symptoms of septic shock. Meanwhile, Justyna Wydrzynska of Abortive Dream squad for trying to aid Annie was punished with a regulation of freedom for 8 months (after 30 hours of community service per month).
– The current abortion law has led me and my partner to question whether we would like to have a kid in Poland due to the fact that we fear for my wellness and life. I don't know if we can afford to rise a kid emotionally and financially with disabilities or all kinds of difficulties. We think about this more intensively than ever, even though I see myself pregnant in my 30s,” says Agnieszka, a student of UAM.
Does business have full sex equality? Do women (only entrepreneurial ones) have the same chances as men? The wage gap in Poland is indeed low due to the fact that it is 4.5%, while the EU-wide average is 12% (Eurostat figures for 2021). We besides learn that "a year ago a evidence for women's employment in Poland was dropped". What does that mean? Not exactly. Indeed, women's employment is gradually expanding from year to year, but inactive lower than men. OECD statistic of 2022 indicate that the professional activity of women aged 16-64 is 65.4% (men – 77.3%).
Polka is indeed a unique European woman, due to the fact that she must live in a country where at all turn she encounters logs thrown at her feet by the government. In a country where 54% of the girls did not go to school erstwhile due to the fact that they could not afford to buy hygiene products, in which MP Bartus calls the in vitro procedure "human production". In a country that is at the last place in Europe in the ranking of access to contraception. In a country where rape victims are asked what they were dressed in or how much they drank, and can search aid in centres financed from the foundation's money alternatively than from state money. In a country where Polish women are not valued until a fewer months before the elections.
Karolina SZMYGIN
