Between Symbolism and Incrementalism: Moving Forward with the Gender Equality Project in Poland

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the recently adopted law on gender electoral quotas marks a change in the approach to gender issues and gender equality in Poland. It also aims to describe the trajectory of women’s movement in a post-Communist country and to identify causes related to the role of women in the Solidarity movement that resulted in low visibility of women in government and decision-making positions. The paper departs from the assumption that Poland is not moving away from a narrowly conceived equal rights/opportunities model, because such model has not yet been fully implemented. In the context of the present ‘war on gender’, women’s full political, economic, social, and more specifically, private citizenship is a long-term project. As of now, women remain instrumental for achieving political parties’ further aims, and any gestures that seem to advance women’s position in the public sphere are usually merely symbolic. Yet, the emergence of a strong women’s movement helps to frame the public discourse in gendered terms and gradually include its propositions in the mainstream policy.

Keywords: Gender equality; Political representation; Quota; Poland